Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Whimey
by nat-nav
Summary: Gaia met Jack when she was only 2 days old. She met the Doctor not long after that, but it isn't until the Doctor pulls her out of the burnt remains that is her home planet, Starnet, that everything changed. Covers 10/11, not always in order with Torchwood series 1 and 2 added to the mix. Warning future femslash... Doctor/OC/River
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

Hello, this is my first cross-over fic so I really hope you like it. This is just a little prologue and I have the first chapter ready a waiting. Anyway on with the show.

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><p>Gaia ran. She ran though the long blue grass, it stroking her bare skin as she ran past. She ran so fast not daring to look back, as she knew it'll break her heart if she did. She just had to get home, get safe. They were coming, coming for her. They had gotten everyone else, she didn't know if anyone else had escaped. They were close. The grass thinned out as she reached the gravel track that led to her house. She was so close, yet so were they.<p>

Gaia sat under the table, knees curled up to her chest and tears flowing down her cheeks. The door was deadlocked sealed, barricaded with most of her furniture, but it was only titanium eventually they'd get through. Her only daughter Luna was dead, back in the citadel, and the creatures responsible were trying to break down her door. She would have let them get to her if the lives of billions of people didn't depend on her survival. And this wasn't an over exaggeration.

The distress beacon was flashing on the table above her. Its light the only beacon of hope left on the planet. She only hoped someone would spot it, hopefully someone in particular, the lonely traveller that would often visit her planet, the planet of which she was linked, the planet of which depended on her survival.

Her planet, it had been through so much, she had felt it and she could see what was to come. The apes that roamed free upon her planet would evolve, grow physically and mentally. They'd become so much... more. Then eventually they'd leave the safety of her planet and roam the stars, stretching out all the way across the universe. These bunch of apes would become one of the most spread out species in the universe, with at least one living on almost every planet in a few billions years. But if she died here, none of that would happen, who knows what could become of her planet.

So now she put her planet in the hands of the lonely traveller, the man who had saved it countless times and would do countless more, the man who looked at her planet and hearts swelled, the man, albeit not born their, would look at her planet and call it home.

Then she heard it, the magnificent sound of a type 42 Tardis materializing. The breaks left on, his signature unknowing mistake. The blue box faded into view in front of her, that box both old & new, borrowed, but she had her doubts, and the bluest of blues. Its doors swung open and a young man, the lonely traveller, held out his hand. "Come with me." He commanded. Gaia grabbed his hand and was pulled inside.

The Tardis dematerialised when the door of Gaia's small house finally gave in. Smoke from the burning fires outside rolled in filling the room with a black cloud and the monstrosities that had waged war against Gaia's home planet entered the premises.

"Exterminate!" It sneered in its monotone emotionless voice, yet was met with an empty room. The only movement, the flashing orange light of the distress beacon. Proof that hope on the now wrecked planet still existed and that hope came in the form of the lonely traveller.

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><p>Reviews are much appreciated and criticism well received; please do feel the need to correct me on any grammar or spelling, it pisses me off when I'm reading so no doubt it'll piss you off too. Vent these feelings in the form of a review, makes the both of us happy. :)<p> 


	2. Introductions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

Thanks for the review SeddieShortBus, I'm glad your liking it. I would have had this chapter up yesterday but FanFiction wouldn't let me log in properly, but its here today. Hope you like it. :) x

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><p>"Doctor, what's going on? Where are we going?" Rose yelled holding on for dear life as the Tardis plummeted through the vortex. Her pilot was running around the console like a mad man, a look of determination on his face.<br>"We're following a distress signal, a very important distress signal. That's all you need to know." The Doctor said, pulling a lever. "Now hold on!" The Doctor yelled as the pair we're thrown around the Tardis like rag dolls in a tumble dryer.

The Doctor was in his blue stripped suit, his brown hair wild on his head and a pair of red converse on his feet. His expression was of one of deep determination, yet his eyes showed the pain and loss of 100's people. Yet he could save this one, it would be so easy and he had too. He had put so much work into it, worked so hard to keep it safe, it couldn't just fall because of one person's death. No he had to save her, there was no questioning that.

The Tardis landed with a thud and the pair fell to the floor. The Doctor was instantly on his feet running over to the door, leaving Rose slightly dazed on the floor next to the console. He opened the doors and held out his hand. "Come with me." He said to the stranger then pulled her into safety. The Doctor then slammed the doors shut and ran over to the console leaving the stranger at the door and put the Tardis back into the safety of the vortex.

After a somewhat calmer flight the Tardis finally stabilized in a deep part of space. The Doctor just stood there shocked at how easy it had been. Rose stood up and brushed herself down then finally looked up at the stranger the Doctor had gone through all of this effort to save.

It was a young girl, maybe a couple of years younger than herself. She had dark brown curly hair with bright blue highlights running through it. But they weren't highlights per say. In every 100 strands of hair or so a single hair would be blue, the brightest of blue and also the bluest of blues. Her eyes were a dazzling, a very natural green which stood out in vast contrast to her pale skin. She was fairly small built; about 5 ft and at a guess Rose would say she was a size 6 at a push a size 8 and she was wearing what Rose deemed as fairly normal clothes: A pair of blue jeans and a white vest top with a long black jacket. Her shirt was stained with a mixture of dirt and blood and looked as if the Doctor had pulled her out of a war zone, but, knowing the Doctor as well as Rose did (or she thought she did), it wouldn't surprise her if he had.

The Doctor turned from the console and faced the young girl. He knew immediately who this girl was and what was at risk if she had died in that warzone. But he looked at her, so frail, so small and on the verge of tears. He walked over to the small frame and opened his arms. She fell into them sobbing. "Sh. It's alright, your safe." The Doctor said, stroking the girl's hair. The girl didn't hug the Doctor in return, here arms were fixed at her chest also as if, if she had let go she would fall to pieces.

Rose slowly approached the pair. "Doctor, who is she?" Rose asked sheepishly. The Doctor didn't answer. The girl raised her head from the Doctor's chest. "Sorry you probably think I'm being stupid." The girl said wiping the tears away.  
>"Oh, no, no, no. You've just lost... well a lot, it can only be expected." The Doctor said wiping the tear of the girl's cheek.<br>"But I'm not the only one who has lost something Doctor." The girl said looking at him straight in the eyes.

Rose felt a pang of jealousy arise in her chest. Who was this girl? And how did she know the Doctor? The Doctor was never that close to her, why was he to this complete stranger? Is she an ex? I bet she's an ex! But she looks so young she can't be. Stop it Rose your being stupid.

The girl seemed to sense Rose's jealousy and turned to her. "Sorry Rose Tyler you probably think it's beyond weird a girl turns up out of no where and knows everything about you and the Doctor." The girl said. Rose blinked, shocked how the girl knew her name.  
>"Who are you?" Rose asked softly.<br>"Gaia." The girl said simply and then she turned back to the Doctor some how knowing he was going to talk next.  
>"Gaia go and get changed your filthy. Then we can drop you off at your Earth if you like." The Doctor said. Gaia nodded.<br>"Thanks." She said and then gave him a kiss on the cheek, slyly whispering in his ear. "She's a keeper." The Doctor smiled and she drifted off down the corridor looking for the wardrobe.

Once Gaia was out of ear shot Rose said what was on her mind. "So who's she?" She asked. The Doctor turned to face her, a huge grin on his face.  
>"You probably know her best as Mother Nature." The Doctor said skipping like a child over to the console. He had done it, wasn't the hardest of feats but he had done it. He had saved someone and this time no one had got hurt, no one had sacrificed themselves. He couldn't help but feel elated.<p>

"Mother what? Doctor, Mother Nature doesn't exist." Rose said, following him over to the console.  
>"Yes she does. Gaia is her, literally her." The Doctor said fiddling with the monitor. "You see there's a race, The Planet-keepers and well they do what is says on the tin, they keep planets." The Doctor bashed on the monitor trying to get it too work, to Rose it looked completely fine.<br>"But what do you mean keep planets?"  
>"Well not so much keep." The Doctor stopped for a moment as he shoved his hand down the back of the console. He felt around for a bit and pulled out the object which had been causing him an annoyance. It was an apple with a smiley face carved into it. He had no idea how it had got there, no idea where he had even got it, he just put it in his pocket and turned back to the monitor.<p>

"You see when a planet is formed or a moon comes into orbit a child is born on Starnet, the Planet-keepers planet. And that child is linked to the planet or moon." The Doctor explained now leaning against the console facing Rose, apparently given up at whatever he was doing with the monitor.  
>"Linked, linked how?" Rose asked rolling her eyes as the Doctor got the apple out of his pocket to admire the smiley face, then, after sniffing it, took a bit.<p>

"Part of us is the planet. We can feel everything on it, sense everything that happening. We know everyone that's ever stepped foot on it, their past, their present and to some extent their future. We age as the planet ages. And to some extent we can even control it. Only partially though." Gaia said walking back into the room. She had changed into some clean clothes, a pair of jean shorts and a chequered shirt with a white vest top underneath. Her hair still hung naturally around her face and her eyes were alight. By her look you could easily be deceived, but time travel opened your eyes. Rose turned to face her; still feeling a bit disgusted at the fact the Doctor was eating what could possibly be a century old apple.

"So the planet you're linked too... is Earth?" Rose asked. Gaia nodded walking up the steps to the console.  
>"I was born on the day of the Earth's creation." Gaia admitted.<br>"But that makes you billions of years old?"  
>"And I'm looking good." Gaia laughed. Rose joined in.<p>

"What happened? I mean we pulled you out of a war zone, where were you?" Rose asked knowing this may be a tetchy subject for Gaia.  
>"The Daleks happened." Gaia said quietly. The Doctor's fist curled.<br>"What?" Rose asked, not hearing what Gaia said. The Doctor stepped in saving Gaia from the heartache.  
>"The Daleks, before they attacked Gallifray, my planet, they attacked the planet that watched Gallifray. Starnet. Every planet has a keeper, including Gallifray and the only way to attack Gallifray was to kill its keeper. And they succeeded, but the Dalek creator, Davros, got greedy he just kept going, until all of Starnet fell. He just needed Gallifray to fall and they would have had the universe in his grasp and well they never got that far." The Doctor said.<br>"Oh, did anyone survive? The Planet-keepers I mean." Rose asked only realising the fault of her question after saying it.  
>"No one knows, but we can say one defiantly did." The Doctor said putting one arm round Gaia's shoulder and rubbing it. Gaia was crying again.<p>

"Who was it?" The Doctor asked softly. Rose looked puzzled. "I don't need to be a telepath to know you lost someone close. It's better to talk about it, it'll hurt and I can't guarantee the pain will go away, but it'll help." The Doctor said getting down to Gaia's eye level and wiping away a tear.  
>"Luna, my daughter." Gaia croaked. "Linked with the Earth's moon, she was ecstatic when humans landed on it in the 1960's. Brilliant little girl, so bright. She had blonde hair that use to cascade over her shoulders her eyes were bright green like mine and she loved to travel. Always wanted to leave Starnet and see her Moon for herself." Gaia's breathing hitched. "I guess she never will now." Gaia said, tears now rolling freely down her face. The Doctor hugged her.<br>"Better?" He asked softly. Gaia nodded in his arms.

There was a sudden jolt causing Rose to loose her balance and fall to the floor. Gaia and the Doctor had also fallen to the floor, there limbs tangled within one another's. "And I do believe we have landed." Gaia said unravelling herself from the Doctor and wiping away her tears she walked over to the door. She swung them open and the view of Cardiff bay came into view.  
>"Cardiff? Why did you bring us to Cardiff old girl? 1990 as well, boring year, boring decade to be honest." The Doctor said looking at the monitor, trying to lighten up the previous dark atmosphere.<br>"Oi, I grew up in the 90's." Rose argued. The Doctor chuckled and patted the console.  
>"Still, why here old girl?" He murmured.<br>"Because that's where I need to be." Gaia said taking in the salty sea air coming off the bay. She would never admit it to the Doctor but this was in fact her first time on Earth. She had seen it dozens off times, through people eyes, through her daughter's eyes but never with her own.

She walked over to the Doctor and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." She murmured then walked over to Rose and whispered in her ear. "Go get 'em tiger."

"I'll be seeing you later." Gaia said to the Doctor, standing by the door again.  
>"I'll be looking forward to it." The Doctor said with a smile, leaning against the console.<br>"I have to admit though Doctor, knighted and exiled on the same day, that's an achievement even for you." Gaia joked.  
>"Well you know, the royal family seem to have a problem with me, not sure why to be honest." The Doctor admitted.<br>"Let's just say the virgin queen wasn't so virgin." Gaia murmured so that only the Doctor with his heightened hearing could hear. He looked beyond confused. "Never mind. Just be careful. Acts although done with a good heart have consequences and with you these consequences are usually pretty big." Gaia admitted. The Doctor stood there trying to take in what Gaia had meant. "Until the next time." Gaia said. With a final sweeping look of the Tardis and its inhabitants she left and went in search for an old friend, a certain Captain Jack Harkness.

"Well that was different." Rose said turning back to the Doctor.  
>"Could say that again." The Doctor said running his fingers through his hair, still trying to understand what Gaia had meant.<br>"Doctor, how come, you know, you're so close to her?" Rose asked tentatively, not sure how the Doctor would react. The Doctor looked up at Rose then turned to the console.  
>"Oh, well I'm not from Earth, obviously, so to even step foot on Earth Gaia has to well, accept me. If not then the Earth would do everything in its power to get me off." The Doctor explained, putting in the coordinates for their next adventure.<br>"So you were being a teacher pet." Rose said with a smirk.  
>"Being a what?" The Doctor asked, turning around abruptly from the console completely dumbfounded from Rose's metaphor.<br>"You know sucking up to her, getting on her good side." Rose teased.  
>"Never thought of it like that." The Doctor confessed with a smile turning back to the console.<br>"Shame on you." Rose said waggling her finger jokingly. The Doctor shrugged.  
>"Anyway I promised you the 2012 Olympics, let's go and have a look shall we?" The Doctor said flipping a switch. The Tardis took off, the Doctor and Rose off on a brand new adventure.<p>

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><p>Et volia, the first proper chapter of the story. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated. :) x<p> 


	3. Welcome to Torchwood

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

Here's another chapter, it's the introduction to Torchwood. Hope you like! :) x

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><p>Gaia stepped out into the sea air, the wind whipping her hair round her face. Earth was so different to Starnet and she loved this planet with all her hearts, she had 3, but it could never replace home. She had put so much work into this little planet, chronologically for her humans were still apes that roamed around the earth's surface and had yet to meet the ice age. But that was the beauty of time travel, she could see her planet any state she wanted, with out actually having to wait for it too happen.<p>

She looked around at the concrete area next to the bay, a giant water-feature at its centre. In 10 years time this place would become the site of the millennium centre, so much would change in the next 2 decades and no one but her had a clue. Well maybe Jack.

10 years ago these people believed that by 2010 the human race would have flying cars, some still did. Yet none of them had a tiniest of ideas that in just over a decade aliens would invade the earth and people's outlook of the universe would change. The human race, one of her greatest ideas.

She gave a final casting look over the bay then started to walk to the Information centre, which she knew was the entrance to the infamous Torchwood, where, at this moment in time, a certain Captain Jack Harkness was located.

It was a short walk from the concrete bay side to the wooden quay where the information centre was located. It was early morning, about 7 am so very few people were about. Gaia knew though with in the hour the city would fully awake, humans coming and going, all with separate lives yet all interconnected through one way or another. She approached the wooden door, took a deep breath then pushed it open.

"Hello there, how can I help you this morning?" A young welsh man said from behind the counter, looking very bored.  
>"Yes, I'm here to see Captain Jack Harkness." Gaia said, smoothly.<br>"Sorry who?" The man, Gavin Jones, asked, his acting skills was atrocious.  
>"I know he's here. He's through that door behind the notice board. I would very much appreciate it if I could talk to him."<br>"Oh, ermm... sure. I'll let you right in." Gavin said pushing several buttons behind the desk. The notice board then popped out of the wall and swung open like a door.  
>"Thank you Gavin." Gaia said stepping through the door. She closed it before he could ask how she knew his name.<p>

Gaia followed the winding corridors when she came up to a door that required a code; there was a speaker next to it. "This better be important." An American voice boomed through the speaker.  
>"Nice to see you too Jack." Gaia said, presuming there was a microphone of sorts in the corridor.<br>"Who is this?" Jack asked.  
>"Well if you let me in you can find out." Gaia said. There was no reply.<p>

The door then hissed open and Gaia stepped through as the cage around the door lifted. She was met with the barrels of 3 guns. "Nice to see how you treat your guests." Gaia said hand on hips. Jack didn't lower his gun, but expression went into one of deep thought. Gaia gave him a minute he'd figure it out eventually.

Jack dropped his gun; it literally it fell through his fingers and on to the floor, causing odd looks from his co-workers. He ran up to Gaia and lifted her in to a hug. "Oh my god, Gaia I am so sorry. It's so good to see you." Jack said spinning her round. Gaia laughed,  
>"No worries saw this coming." Gaia joked. Jack put her down.<p>

"Jack who is she?" One of Jack's co-workers asked, Samantha Hammond was her name as Gaia recalled. The other of Jack's co-workers, Mike Newell, agreed.  
>"This is Gaia, an old friend of mine. More like a little sister to me." Jack joked.<br>"Little? More like older sister." Gaia said accusingly to Jack, who now had his arm round her waist.  
>"You'll find I'll be catching up with you." Jack turned to her.<br>"Not likely, reached the 2 billion mark a few years ago. Feel like taking that back?" Gaia joked.  
>"Nope, 'cos your still little." Jack said. Gaia punched him in the arm.<p>

Both Mile and Samantha had placed there guns back in their holsters and were watching the pair with amusement. "Not going to lie I didn't see you as the responsible older brother type Jack." Mike joked. Jack and Gaia laughed.  
>"Who said anything about responsible? While I was supposedly in his care I ended up destroying my school and dissembled 2 of the babysitting androids." Gaia joked; Samantha and Mike gave her blank looks.<br>"1990's." Jack whispered indicating at the 2 blank looks Gaia was getting.  
>"Gonna have to get use to that." Gaia whispered to that.<br>Samantha rolled her eyes and started to walk back to her workstation, when she saw that Mike was not moving she gave him an elbow. He snapped out of it and walked over to his workstation.

Their work stations consisted of metal desks covered in paperwork, a large box computer, slightly smaller than normal one's of the era but still big, and a telephone which was the size of a brick.

"Come on we'll go up to my office to chat." Jack said, dragging Gaia up a set of spiral stairs.

Gaia sat down in one of the seats in Jack's office and Jack turned around to close the door. When he turned back Gaia's happy charade shattered and the first of many tears rolled down her face. "Oh come here." Jack said opening his arms and Gaia fell into them. Jack squeezed her tight. "You just got off Starnet?" Jack asked quietly. Gaia nodded into his chest. Jack didn't need to say more, he just let Gaia cry into him.

They remained there for a few hours moving to the sofa Jack had in his office, Gaia sitting on his lap, the tears never ceasing. Gaia eventually cried herself to exhaustion and fell asleep in Jack's arm. Jack kissed Gaia on the forehead and slowly placed her down on the sofa. Then, after rummaging around a bit looking for it, put a blanket over her. He then slowly closed the door to his office and went down to the now abandoned work stations.

Gaia remained with Jack and Torchwood for the next 16 years. She saw it all, the genocide of Torchwood 3 in the millennium, the hiring of each of the new Torchwood staff, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Ianto Jones and Susie Costello. She saw it all.

She ended up herself living at the hub; a second office built adjoining to Jacks. Jack and hers relationship was a brother sisterly love, him although the younger of the pair acting as the older brother.

She had been approached by many of the Torchwood staff over the years on how she met Jack and to each and everyone she had remained quiet. When truth be told she didn't remember. She had met Jack when she was a baby; she had known him her entire life. A fixed point in time and space landing on the Earth, Gaia was the first to know and with that kind of power it reverberated all the way back to her birth. Gaia had known Jack since she was 2 days old, the age of which a child is bonded to their planet or moon.

Although against it at first, she had learnt how to use a variety of weapons and beat Jack several times in aiming competitions. She was a female companion who would happily go out shopping with the girls if asked or she would happily stay at the hub with the boys and drink herself livid (although she needed thrice the usual alcohol consumption of a human being to even get the slightest bit tipsy). All in all, she was the perfect Torchwood staff, immortal by the standards that no earth weapon could harm her; she was Jack's constant companion for almost 2 decades.

Now, late 2006, they were in the middle of a case. A string of unidentified murders, all killed with an interesting shaped knife and Jack, much to Gaia's displeasure, had taken upon himself to use an alien glove which Owen had dubbed `the resurrection gauntlet`. That's when `Everything Changes. `

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><p>Reviews are much appreciated. I currently have up to Chapter 10 written on my laptop and some of the chapters are pretty damn long if I do say so myself! ;) Anywho... hope you liked it. :) x<p> 


	4. Everything Changes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

And now for Torchwood... No reviews though! :(

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><p>"We've got another one." Tosh called the monitor in front of her flashing with the recent police report.<br>"Okay..." Jack began as he came bounding down the stairs from his office. He then quickly began to handout demands. "Suzie grab the glove, Owen get your coat, Tosh scanner and Gaia..." He didn't get to finish his command as Gaia threw the SUV keys as him. "Impeccable timing as always." Jack commented.  
>"I know, I'm amazing like that." Gaia said shrugging her shoulders, a grin on her face.<br>"And modest." Jack joked with an eye-roll. Gaia whacked Jack on the arm and followed the other out of the hub to the SUV.

The SUV pulled up next to the small alley in the shadow of a rather large multi-storey car park. With a somewhat put on suave, the team climbed out the SUV and strutted past the stunned police officers. Well mostly stunned, one female officer, Gwen Cooper is Gaia recalled correctly, was quite adamant to get her point across. She was ignored though.

The group ducked under the police tape and approached the body. Everyone took their respected positions; Jack looked over his shoulder making sure no one was close enough to witness what they were up too. "Okay, who is he?" Jack asked Gaia as Suzie placed the glove on the dead man's forehead.  
>"John Tucker, 19 years old, lives with his mother, tried and failed college and is unemployed after a rather nasty end to his previous job." Gaia stated feeling sorry for the young `boy`.<br>"Okay, Tosh did you get that? John was his name." Jack said to Tosh, who nodded in conformation as she read the scanner that was in her hand. Jack then looked up at Suzie. "How's it going?" Suzie's concentration didn't come off the glove but she managed to reply to Jack.  
>"Nothing yet. It's got to connect, I've just got to feel it." She said some what airily. Before Jack could reply Owen butted in.<br>"Then hurry up and feel it! I'm freezing my arse off here." Gaia rolled her eyes.  
>"Man up Owen." She retorted, causing a low chortle from Jack. It was then Gaia noticed the extra eyes watching the group.<p>

Gaia slowly made his way over to Jack and placed her hand on his, this allowed Gaia to open a telepathic link between the pair. "_We have a spectator. " _Gaia _said,_ raising her eyebrows in indication that the spectator was above them. Jack nodded.  
><em>"By a chance the dark haired Officer from earlier?" <em>He _asked.  
>"Yep."<br>"This could be fun."_ Gaia rolled her eyes and broke the link, just as the glove started to click and glow an ominous blue.

"Positions." Jack ordered. Gaia had to step a little away from the group, the first time the group had attempted this, her body had reacted badly and she ended up vomiting. She had learnt her lesson, the others... not so much.  
>"If I get punched again, I'm punching it right back." Owen stated causing Gaia to chuckle at the memory. It had been some left hook for a supposedly dead man; Owen had had a black eye for weeks afterwards.<p>

Suzie supported John's head and he gasped into the land of the living. With Gaia's heightened hearing she could hear the gasp of the PC high above as well.

"There was ... What was? I was ... Oh, my God, I was going home." John said panicked his head still resting in Suzie's hand.  
>"Listen to me; we've only got two minutes so it's important that you listen, okay?" Toshiko said she had been nominated speaker this time. Gaia had vomited the first time, Owen had gotten a black eye, Suzie had to work the glove and Jack ended up flirting and wasting time.<p>

"Who are you?" John asked now completely terrified.

Gaia had to bite down the bile that was rising in her stomach. She was connected to this planet and in turn each and every one of the creatures that inhabited the planet, including the humans. Meaning when one came back from the dead... it was wrong.

"Trust me. You're dead." Toshiko replied, trying her best to keep the tone of her voice calm.  
>"How am I dead?"<br>"You were stabbed." Owen added.  
>"I'm not dead, I can see you."<br>"We've brought you back but we haven't got long, I'm sorry but you've got to concentrate, who did this to you? What did you see?" Tosh asked. John wasn't listening.  
>"Why am I dead?" Tosh persisted anyway.<br>"Who attacked you?"  
>"I don't want to be dead."<br>"Sixty seconds." Suzie warned.

"You've got to think, just focus on me. What was the last thing you saw?" Tosh asks again, her tone now much more calm. John took a deep breath.  
>"I didn't see any... I don't know." John stuttered.<br>"Who killed you, did you see them?" Tosh asked.  
>"I don't know. There was... something behind me."<br>"Police said one stab wound in the back." Owen added. Gaia rolled her eyes.  
>"We could have used that information earlier Owen." Gaia called. The sound of her voice seemed to prick John's ears.<br>"Who's that?" He asked.  
>"It's no one, don't worry. But you didn't see anything?" Tosh asked.<br>"No, but that voice. It was so pretty. Like I dunno..." John said starting to slur his words. "... Mother nature." He finished, then flat lined.

"I said it was stupid, telling him he was dead. And what in the bloody hell was that about with Gaia?" Owen asked, soaked through and miserable in the Welsh rain.  
>"Well, you try it." Tosh responded getting to her feet and putting the scanner back in her bag, ignoring Owen's last comment but she could deny she was curious too.<br>"`Trust me`, like that's gonna work." Owen continued optimistic as ever.  
>"Told the last corpse he was injured, he wasted the whole 2 minutes screaming for an ambulance." Jack began. He looked over at Toshiko who stared down at the body at her feet. "Maybe there's no right way of doing it." He finished. With a quick wink to Gaia he looks up directly to their spectator from above. "What do you think?" He asked and the Officer jumped back out of sight. Gaia rolled her eyes.<p>

Now back in the hub, the tone was sombre. Tosh, Ianto, Owen and Suzie ended up going home for the night, leaving Gaia and Jack in the hub alone. "That Officer, who was she?" Jack asked Gaia as they both sat on the couch, Gaia lying down with her head in Jack's lap.  
>"Gwen Cooper, 28 years old, dating Rhys Williams, 31, they live together in a flat in Cardiff. She works for the police with her partner Andy Davidson. She comes from an old Cardiff family who had a bit of a run in with you-know-who back in the day." Gaia said, completely relaxed after quite a hectic and eventful evening.<br>"No way, Voldemort exists?" Jack joked. Gaia laughed sarcastically.  
>"Ha, ha, ha. You're so funny. Thankfully you're a human I can't take credit for." Gaia said, sitting up next to Jack. Jack shrugged his shoulders and Gaia let out a yawn.<p>

"You look beat, when's the last time you slept?" Jack asked.  
>"A few days ago." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Okay maybe a week ago." Jack's expression didn't change. "Alright it's been a fortnight." Gaia finally admitted. Jack's gaze softened.<br>"Go get some rest." Jack ordered, pushing her up of the couch and up to her office/ room. Gaia whined. "No, I'm not having any of it. Bed now." Jack urged as he opened the door to her office. Gaia pouted. Jack rolled his eyes and placed a kiss on Gaia's forehead. "Goodnight Gaia." He said, then closed the door.

Cracking her eyes open Gaia tried to focus on the alarm clock on her bedside table. Rather begrudgingly, she had gone to bed after Jack had unceremoniously put her in her room last night and she couldn't deny she felt better for it. Now though, with her eyes still blurry from sleep she couldn't even begin to decipher the numbers her alarm clock was showing. When her eyes finally refocused and her brain registered the time on her alarm clock, she promptly fell out of bed in shock.

"Bloody 1 in the afternoon! I've slept half the day away! I'm gonna kill that man!" Gaia grumbled angrily to herself as she picked herself off the floor. Jack had obviously come in her room either last night or in the early hours of the morning and turned off her alarm clock and she wasn't happy about it.

Whilst grumbling to herself she proceeded to the bathroom to get ready. She didn't take long changing and was back in the main hub within a few minutes, where she was surprised to see it was empty. Ianto no doubt was probably down in the archives, he spent a lot of time down there of late. But Gaia brushed it off as grief over the end to his previous job at Torchwood 1.

Walking over to one of Tosh's monitors she pulled up the most recent window on view, it was CCTV footage of a weevil on the loose in the near-by hospital. "Well that explains where you lot are." Gaia said to herself. She paused the footage and minimized the window, putting the computer back to how she found it. Tosh was lovely and all, but if you touched her computer... Gaia shivered. Content she had put everything back in place she made her way to the kitchen for a tea, unlike the rest of the team she refused to drink the hellish drink they called coffee, no matter how well Ianto apparently made it.

Leaning on the counter in the kitchen Gaia allowed her eyes to close and her mind to open. Meditation was a well practised discipline on Starnet and it was to be done everyday. It allowed planet-keepers, such as herself, to become one with their planet. It allowed them to hear the wind, feel the planets rotation and see the new life and smell nature at its best. But this discipline was something Gaia was very out of practise with; to fully meditate you had to sit perfectly still, sometime for hours, with no disturbances and with Torchwood that simply wasn't possible. So every now and again she'd get wisps of the planet around her.

Now she was watching the hospital where the team where, she was riding the air flowing through the windows into the building. Meandering through the corridors she stopped when she caught sight of Jack. She smiled as she saw the PC from the other day, Gwen Cooper, follow him closely behind. Jack had obviously caught the escaped weevil and was on his way back to the SUV judging by the somewhat urgent pace he had. Gaia's eyes subconsciously rolled when she realised Jack was messing with the poor woman. Not really wanting to see what happened next, Gaia broke her meditative state and finished her tea. Placing her empty cup in the sink she walked quite cheerfully down the corridor back to the workstations, waiting for the others to return.

Exactly 10 minutes later Jack and Tosh re-entered the hub. Suzie and Owen had gone through the back to place the weevil in one of the cells. "We have a follower." Jack said strangely gleefully as the cog door rolled back.  
>"I saw." Gaia replied indicating at the CCTV which showed the young officer, Gwen Cooper get turned away by one of the security guards.<br>"She's good I'll give her that." Jack said leaning over Gaia's shoulder. Tosh had returned to her workstation. Gaia made a noise in agreement to Jack, but then realised she was meant to be angry with him. Putting on her best angered face she turned to face Jack.

"You turned off my alarm." She stated. Jack paled.  
>"Yeah, you needed your sleep." Jack said, to Tosh it looked as if he said it quite smooth and calm, to Gaia, who had known Jack for much longer, knew that he was in fact shitting himself.<br>"Yes well in case you've forgotten I do not need nearly as much sleep as you and thanks to your meddling I slept half the day away."

Tosh wasn't usually a nosy person, but when it came to her bosses she could help but be curious. She didn't think she ever seen Jack get told by anyone, not properly anyway and she was intrigued at his response. She keeping her eyes on the monitor and he hands busy using the keyboard and mouse she quite easily kept up the charade that she was actually working.

Jack looked down guilty at Gaia's response. It was true he quite often forgot the fact that Gaia wasn't a child anymore; she was quite easily 10 times his own age and had been a mother herself. He needed to stop treating like one. "I'm sorry." He muttered, still looking down.

Tosh's eyebrows rose in shock, Jack had said sorry. She didn't think she'd ever see the day.

Gaia grinned like the Cheshire cat. "I'm sorry I didn't hear that." She said continuing her `angry` voice.  
>"I, Captain Jack Harkness, am sorry." He said over dramatically.<br>"Could I have that in writing?" Gaia jested and then proceeded to give Jack a hug.

The pair continued hugging when Suzie and Owen walked into the room. "Get a room!" Owen called as he made his way down to the autopsy room. Gaia and Jack rolled their eyes.

"She's back again." Ianto called a little while later from one of the monitors. The CCTV footage from outside was on the screen showing Gwen walking across the Plass with a pizza box in her hand. Jack was instantly behind Ianto looking at the monitor.  
>"This could be fun." Jack said. "Alright everyone how about we do a little messing about?" Jack hollered at the team. There was a general consensus. "Excellent. Ianto get up to the tourist board and let her in. Owen in the autopsy room, Suzie got and find something big and scary to work with, Tosh look busy and Gaia well... just sit there and look busy." Jack joked. Gaia rolled her eyes and gave him a mock salute before turning back to face the monitor behind her.<p>

A small buzz from the computer tells the group that Ianto's let Gwen in, they all take there positions and Jack walks up to his office grabbing a pile of paperwork from inside. The cog door rolls open and a bewildered Gwen walks in, Gaia smiles a little as the smell of fresh pizza hits her nostrils; it's currently 9 pm and she hasn't eaten anything decent since the day before.

Jack comes out of his office again and heads down the stairs completely ignoring Gwen and heads over to Gaia's desk, putting the paper work down. He then grabs another bit and perches on the edge of the desk reading it, waiting for Gwen to say something. She doesn't get the chance.

As Gwen passes Toshiko she cracks and starts to giggle, Owen snorts and admits defeat. "I can't do this, I'm sorry." He begins and swings his chair around to face Gwen. "I'm rubbish. I give up!" Toshiko also starts to laugh again and blames Owen for starting her off.

"Well that lasted nought point two seconds." Suzie jokes, putting down her welding tool and making her way over to the main hub area.

Gaia rolls her eyes and turns to face the others. "And the Oscar for best acting goes to..." Gaia jokes, looking directly at Owen and Tosh. Owen shrugs and Tosh blushes.  
>"She's actually carrying pizza!" Owen continues revelling taking the mick out of Gwen.<p>

Jack throws the paper work over his shoulder and it lands messily on Gaia desk, "Come on! She was gonna say, "Here's your pizza," and I was going to  
>say, "How much?"" Jack began as he stood up off the desk. "And she says, "Oh, whatever, twenty quid," and I say, "Oh, I don't have any money.""He continues, everyone's sniggering now all except Gwen who looks highly uncomfortable. "I was working on a punchline. I'd have got there. But it would've been good!" Jack finished, Gaia rolled her eyes.<p>

Gwen, rather unsure what to do next, placed the pizza down on the coffee table. "Err... there's you pizza. I'd better go." She said and almost attempted to leave, but Jack stopped her before she could go anywhere.  
>"We've gone past that stage." He said his tone light but still serious.<br>"You must've been freezing out there. How long were you walking around? Three hours?" Gaia asked.  
>"You could see me." Gaia nodded in response.<p>

"And before we go any further, who the hell orders pizza under the name Torchwood?" Jack asked. Owen raised his hand guiltily.  
>"Uh, yeah. That would be me. I'm sorry. I'm a twat." He admitted. Gaia laughed and Jack looked sour. Facing Jack, Gaia put her hand up.<br>"I win, now pay up." She demanded. Jack groaned and pulled out a 20 pound note out of his pocket and handed it to her. "And..." Gaia continues.  
>"Girls are better than boys, they are the stronger sex and more intelligent." Jack choruses unenthusiastically. Tosh and Suzie snigger, both quite use to their bosses childish behaviour. This was when Gwen ruined their moment.<p>

"That man, at the hospital, that porter, what happened to him? That was  
>real, wasn't it? He was attacked." She asks. Gaia pocketed the 20 and watches the conversation unfold.<br>"He's dead." Jack stated.  
>"But there's no-one gone missing."<br>"We took the body, retrospectively changed the work rota, planted a false witness who saw him leaving the hospital, giving him an alibi for the next 48 hours, so when his body's pulled out of the docks next Tuesday night, he's only been missing for three days." Tosh explained.  
>"He was murdered?" Gwen asks, her tone suggesting it was more of a statement than a question.<br>"Yes." Tosh replies.  
>"And you covered it up?"<br>"That's my job." Tosh says with a shrug. Gwen then turns back to Jack.

"And that other man, John Tucker? Last night in the alleyway, I saw you." Gwen persists.  
>"And what did you see?" Jack asks cryptically.<br>"You revived him."  
>"No. What did you see?"<br>"You resuscitated him."  
>"No. What did you see?"<br>"You brought him back to life." Gwen finally admits.  
>"Yeah." Jack says in agreement.<p>

"Who are you?" Gwen asked.  
>"Torchwood."<br>"What's Torchwood?"  
>"This is Torchwood. All around you." Jack explains and indicates everyone. Gwen stood there for a moment trying to take it all in.<br>"Any what happens to me?" She asks. Jack can't help but play on that.  
>"Well..."<br>"I'm police. Constable Gwen Cooper. You can't do anything." Gwen stated, defending herself. Owen snorted no doubt thinking the same as Gaia... if only she knew.

"Right then, PC Cooper..." Jack begins ignoring Owen's snort. "D'you want to come and see? You saw the murder. Come and see the murderer." Jack finished and walked down the stairs and into the corridor.

Gwen stood there for a few moments slightly shell shocked, the look on her face telling Gaia that she's sceptical about trusting Jack. So Gaia stepped in as always. "Come on." She said and grabbed Gwen's hand pulling her down the corridor.

Gwen didn't flinch when the woman grabbed her arm, which was weird because she was a total stranger and Gwen had always had a thing about personal space. But it was almost as if the woman perspired an aura of calmness; going down a spooky dark unknown corridor following a non-existent man to see a murderer... it was nice to have that element of calm.

Walking past the cells Gaia stopped with Gwen at there newest arrival, dubbed Jim by Ianto. Jack flicked the switch on the wall and Gwen jumped back in surprise as the cell light came on and the weevil revealed. "It's all right – it's safe, it's sedated." Gaia said soothingly, calming the terrified woman down. Jack took this as his queue to explain.  
>"It's called a Weevil. Or at least, we call them Weevils." The weevil growls at Jack, but he continues to talk nonetheless. "We don't know their real name, cos they're not too good at communicating. But we've got a couple of hundred of them in the city living in the sewers, feeding off the ... Well, it's the sewers, you can guess. But every once in a while, one of them goes rogue, comes to the surface, attacks. Actually, it's been happening more and more and we have no idea why. But it's alien." Jack explains. Gwen takes a deep breath, taking it all in.<p>

Roughly half an hour later, Gwen, Jack and Gaia returned to the main area of the hub. "Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper." Jack says beginning the many introductions.  
>"Toshiko Sato, computer genius. Suzie Costello, 2nd in command. Ianto Jones, cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time. And Gaia, my boss, if her gob's anything to go by." Jack joked, earning a whack on the arm from Gaia and a quiet chuckle from Gwen.<br>"Ignore him; I just stop him from doing anything stupid." Gaia explained to Gwen.

Gwen smiles, but is slowly drops as she realises something. "Why are you telling me all this? I'm not supposed to know, am I? This is classified, isn't it?" She asks slightly scared at what the answer may be. Jack can't help but feel slightly amused.  
>"Way beyond classified." He confirms.<br>"Then you shouldn't be telling me. What are you gonna do to me?"  
>"What's do you imagine?" Jack asks earning himself a whack on the head by Gaia. "Oh stop it, your scaring the poor girl to death." Gaia said. Jack shrugs in response and grabs his jacket off the desk, not before shoving something in his pocket out of the desk draw, but only Gaia noticed this.<p>

"Oh-kay! Tosh, finish that calibration tomorrow morning. Owen, first thing, get a hold of Chandler and Bell, cos I think they're lying. Ianto, if he needs back-up, then you'd better be on stand-by. Suzie, I know it's a pain in the ass, but I need the costing on the glove research." Jack orders then turns to face the girls. He then puts his arms around their shoulders. "And as for you 2, we're going for a drink." He said cheerful and then led them out of the hub.

An hour later all three are leaving the pub, Gwen swaying on her feet as the amnesia pill starts to take its effect. "Don't think you can fight it by staying awake. I mixed in a little bit of sedative too." Jack hollered down the road at the swaying Gwen.  
>"Then I'll tell someone!" Gwen argues.<br>"Do you want to do that? Do you really want us to come and find them too?" Jack asks.  
>"You bastard!"<br>"Language! Nice knowing you, Gwen Cooper." Jack said finally and Gaia gave a little wave in goodbye before Jack had his arm around her waist and drags her back to the hub before she does something she regrets.

Gaia can admit she understands why retconning Gwen was necessary; her life would be so much safer and easier if she forgot about them. But Gaia could feel the foreign contaminant in Gwen, she knew that it wasn't off this Earth and her every instinct was telling her to repel it. But she couldn't for Gwen's own good and that's why Jack had to practically drag her home.

The next day was rather uneventful. Gaia kept tabs on Gwen and it turns out the amnesia pill had worked, she didn't remember a thing. Everything went back to normal in the hub as if Gwen Cooper had never happened. Suzie was a bit quieter than usual, but everyone had a quiet day from time to time. Owen was full of himself, as per usual and Tosh was quiet and ingenious as always. Ianto was down in the archives, doing what ever he did down there and Jack spent the majority of the day in his office. All in all another day at Torchwood.

Gaia was very surprised though that in the early hours of the next morning Gwen made a reappearance in the Plass. So with out a second thought she hopped on the `invisible lift` and made her way up to street level. She was more then shocked to see both Gwen and Suzie up there, both next to the lift, the latter a gun in her hand pointing at the former.

"...You've got to get inside this stuff. Surrender yourself to it. I did, with the knife, and the glove, and that's why the perception filter isn't gonna work on me." Suzie said and turned, in an instant, and shot Gaia. The bullet never made it to Gaia's skin, it seemed to disintergrate in mid air as if it had hit some invisible force field. Gwen stood there, shell shocked.  
>"But... how... shot..." Gwen mumbles incoherently. Suzie looks equally as shocked but she's still determined.<br>"I can still use this." Suzie says and pulls the oddly shaped knife out of her bag. Gaia inches back a little. She recognises the knife it came through the rift a few weeks ago, meaning it could do her some serious damage.

Before Suzie can do anything though a voice calls out behind her, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice calls. Then without thinking Suzie turns around and plunges the knife into the voice's origin, a certain Captain Jack Harkness, her boss. He crumples to the floor. Dead.

"What have you done?" Gwen asks her voice breathless. Suzie looks down at her dead boss feeling slightly numb and before Gaia can do anything pulls the gun up to her own chin and shoots. Gaia manages to catch her before she hits the floor.

"Oh Suzie." Gaia sighs. She kisses the woman on the forehead and closes her eyes. She then slowly rests the, now dead, woman on the pavement and moves over to Jack. "I'm really sorry about this." She mutters and quickly pulls the knife out. Jack gasps into life and hollers in pain.

Gaia drops the knife and allows it to clatter to the pavement. She then turns to Gwen who curled up on her knees sobbing uncontrollably. "I remember." She utters continuously, rocking herself back and forth. Gaia stands there in shock.

A lot happened when Jack was back to himself, but most of it is a blur to both Gaia and Gwen. The next time coherent thought returned to Gaia she was standing on the millennium centre roof, Jack's arm around her shoulders and Gwen holding her hand.

"Owen and Toshiko, you didn't tell them that you were shot in the head and survived. Or that you were stabbed and lived." Gwen said unsure.  
>"You didn't tell them either. Followed my lead. Keep doing that, and you might just get through this." Jack said rubbing circles with his thumb on Gaia's arm.<br>"But she killed you and she should've killed you."  
>"I can't die and no Earth built device can harm Gaia. Not when used by a human anyway."<br>"Okay."  
>"But I can't. Something happened to me a while back. Long story and far away. But I was killed, and then I was brought back to life, and ever since then ... I can't die. And well Gaia, I'll let her explain that to you when she's ready."<p>

"Okay... but you, how does it work?" Gwen asks hesitantly.  
>"I don't know. One day, I'll find a doctor, the right sort of doctor, and maybe he can explain it. But until then ..."<br>"Nothing kills you?"  
>"Well, it kind of freaks people out, so... best if you don't say anything."<br>"It doesn't matter anyway. You'll only wipe my memory again." Gwen said, this caught Gaia by surprise.  
>"Why would we do that?" Gaia asked.<p>

"Torchwood's got a vacancy. 'Cos maybe you were right, we could do more help. What do you think? You want to join up?" Jack asked. Gaia squeezed Gwen's hand a little in encouragement.  
>"Yeah." Gwen replied. "I do yes."<p>

All that was on Gwen's mind that evening, as she sat on the sofa with her boyfriend watching old re-runs of the comedy `Smith and Jones` was Torchwood and the excitement of her first proper day.

* * *

><p>Review... please... :(<p> 


	5. Smith And Jones

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

Gwen had now been working at Torchwood for a few weeks now. Her first day had been somewhat of a fiasco, sex monster; every teenage boys dream. But she had sorted it out and her Gaia became close friends. All in all Torchwood was back in business and doing more than just clean ups for once. It was nice and normal, well as normal as Torchwood got.

That was until the hub noticed a build up of plasma coils around one London hospital and Gaia went undercover to investigate, that was when everything changed for her.

Gaia entered the London hospital it was still fairly early but the reception area was already full. New medical interns walked through carrying paperwork, several patients were being wheeled through and a delivery boy of sorts dressed all in leather was walking through the reception area that morning. Gaia approached the desk.

She pulled out a piece of paper from her jacket and showed it to the receptionist. "Oh yes. Inspector Anna Smith we've been expecting you I'll just call Mr Stoker down to begin your tour." The receptionist said. Gaia nodded, it wasn't the first time she had been undercover and doubt it'll be the last she just needed a way to loose this Mr Stoker and have a proper look round this hospital.

Mr Stoker exited the lift and walked across the reception. He glanced around the reception area hoping to spot the inspector himself but had no such luck. He walked over to the reception desk. "Yeah sorry, which one is the inspector?" He asked the receptionist.  
>"Miss Anna Smith, Mr Stoker is here for you." The receptionist yelled not taking her eyes off the computer screen in front of her.<p>

Gaia got up and walked over to the reception. "Anna Smith, Mr Stoker I presume." Gaia said shaking Mr Stoker's hand.  
>"Ah, hello. Welcome to Royal Hope Hospital. I hope you weren't waiting too long?" Mr Stoker said, slightly shocked at the appearance of said inspector.<br>"No not at all. Only to be expected in a hospital." She replied calmly.

Just by shaking his hand Gaia knew who this man was. He was chief of medicine, full name Billie Stoker, married to Linda Stoker formerly Parkinson, 2 children both boys now both happily married. He and his wife are going through a bit of a rough patch and he finds himself drinking a lot then he use to. He's become absorbed in his work so much lately; with the constant worry he'll be asked to leave due to his age. But even with all that knowledge of a seemingly normal person Gaia couldn't help but feel that something was up, something didn't feel right.

"Well yes, we do try and keep a tight ship around here. None the less, if you'd like to follow me we can begin with the tour." Mr Stoker said and walked towards one of the doors. Gaia followed suit.

Mr Stoker gave Gaia a brief tour of the hospital, although he avoided entering any of the wards. "I hope you found the hospital to your standards." Mr Stoker said after the tour was apparently finished.  
>"Yes it was." Gaia replied. She had more to say but Mr Stoker cut her off.<br>"Excellent. I'm sorry I need to get on with rounds." He said.  
>"I do need to see round the wards though and witness the doctors at work. It's all standard procedure." Gaia said. Mr Stoker went a tad stiff.<br>"Very well." He said and indicated that she follow him into one of the wards where a group of medical interns were waiting.

"Good morning interns. We have an inspector watching us this morning who will be watching the hospitals performance and overall efficiency. Miss Anna Smith." Mr Stoker said to the interns indicating at Gaia. Gaia gave a little smile a nod and Mr Stoker resumed with the rounds. It was all quite boring in Gaia's eyes, there had been a few interesting characters including a Mrs Finnegan, whom Gaia had never heard of before which was worrying. But then to top the list was a Mr John Smith, who was all too familiar.

Mr Stoker led the group to another bed in the ward. The man was wearing the usual hospital required pyjamas and grinned manically when he spotted Gaia.

"Now then, Mr Smith, a very good morning, and how are you today?" Mr Stoker said to John Smith also known as the Doctor.  
>"Oh, not so bad. Still a bit, y'know. Blehhh." The Doctor replied giving Gaia a wink, which went unnoticed by Mr Stoker, who turned back to face the interns.<p>

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains - Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me." Mr Stoker said addressing one of the interns. Gaia knew her instantly. Martha Jones. Martha stepped forward and approaches the Doctor's bedside.  
>"Well it wasn't very clever running round outside, was it?" She said.<br>"Sorry?" The Doctor asked puzzled.  
>"On Chancellor Street, this morning. You came up to me and took your tie off... You were walking with Miss Smith, the inspector?" Martha replied saying the last part quietly. Gaia still heard. She had been at the hospital all morning.<p>

"Really? What did I do that for?" The Doctor said voicing Gaia's concern.  
>"I don't know, you just did." Martha said puzzled.<br>"Not me, I was here, I was in bed, you can ask the nurses."  
>"That's weird, cos it looked like you, have you got a brother?"<br>"Nope, not any more. Just me!" The Doctor finished looking at Martha puzzled.

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones..?" Mr Stoker said abruptly halting the conversation.  
>"Sorry, um. Right..." Martha replied and put the stethoscope buds in her ears. She puts the stethoscope to left of his chest; she sat there for a moment looking slightly perplexed. She then looked up at the Doctor, puzzled. He just gave a big smile.<p>

She then moved the stethoscope over, to his right side and her eyes grew wide. Martha looked up, astonished, right into the Doctor's eyes and he gave her the smallest wink, only noticed by Gaia.

"I weep for future generations, but are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?" Mr Stoker asked. Martha then snaps out of it and turns back to Mr Stoker.  
>"Um, I don't know. Stomach cramps..?" She says trying to hide her new found discovery.<p>

"That's a symptom, not a diagnosis, and you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart" Mr Stoker said. He then goes down to the end of the bed and picked up the chart. He ends up getting a small electric shock which causes him to drop the board onto the bed.

"Ouch!" Mr Stoker said in a mixture of shock and pain.  
>"That happened to me this morning." Martha said.<br>"I had the same off the door handle."Another interns said.  
>"And me, in the lift." Another replied.<br>"Only to be expected, there's a thunderstorm moving in, lightning being a form of static electricity, as first proven by, anyone?" Mr Stoker asked trying to keep his teacher demeanour to the interns.

"Benjamin Franklin." Gaia cut in, Mr Stoker turned back to face her.  
>"Correct." He said almost awkwardly, expecting one of the interns to answer.<br>"My mate Ben! That was a day and a half; I got rope burns off that kite. And then I got soaked!" The Doctor rambled. Mr Stoker and the interns looked quite worried. Gaia tried to hold back a smirk.  
>"...quite. " Mr Stoker said, almost waiting for the punch line.<p>

"And then, I got electrocuted!" The Doctor said, it wasn't the punch line Mr Stoker was looking for.  
>"Moving on." Mr Stoker said and started to walk off. Gaia caught his attention.<br>"Sorry I just need a word with Mr Smith here. I will see myself out." Gaia said. Mr Stoker turned abruptly around.  
>"Okay. I hope you found everything here to your satisfaction." Mr Stoker said, his stern tone replaced by one of kiss arsness.<br>"It was, I'll be sending out the report within the month. Thank you Mr Stoker for your time." Gaia said adding a small smile and handshake to go along with her inspector persona. Mr Stoker took her hand and shook it, then walked away with the interns continuing the rounds. Once they were out of sight, Gaia turned back round to the Doctor.

"Hello." He said with grin.  
>"Hello." She said with a smile, making sure no one was watching she gave the Doctor a hug.<br>"It's so good to see you." She exclaimed.  
>"Ah... Gaia what are you doing here?" The Doctor asked. Gaia gave him a look. "Alright stupid question shoot me." The Doctor mocked putting his hands up. Gaia laughed and sat herself down on the bed.<p>

"Seriously though how long has it been?" The Doctor asked in all seriousness. But Gaia wasn't listening she was staring out of the window. "Gaia?" The Doctor nudged her a little with her foot.  
>"Doctor the rain." Gaia said still staring out of the window.<br>"What about it?" He asked looking out of the window.  
>"It's going up." She said. The Doctor was on his feet instantly and ran over to the window.<br>"Oh no, no, no, noooo..." The Doctor yelled as a quake worked its way through the building.

The quaking stopped and Gaia and the Doctor stood up from their positions on the floor. "Okay what was that?" Gaia asked, brushing herself down.  
>"H2O scoop." The Doctor said running back to his bed and drawing the curtain. Gaia continued to stand by the window as 2 interns ran in, one of them Martha Jones. They both ran up to the window.<p>

"It's real it's really real!" Martha gawked. She went to open the window.  
>"No, we'll loose all the air." The other intern, Julia, pleaded. She wasn't taking this situation very well.<br>"Well they're not exactly air tight. So if the air was going to be sucked out it would have happened instantly, but it didn't, so how come?" Martha insisted the window was locked shut.

"Very good point!" The Doctor said bursting open the curtains fully dress in a blue suit. He always like his dramatic entrances, Gaia thought.  
>"Brilliant in fact." Gaia agreed. The Doctor nodded.<br>"What's your name?" The Doctor asked. Gaia rolled her eyes. Martha stood their shocked.  
>"Martha."<br>"And it was Jones, wasn't it? Right then, Martha Jones, question is: how are we still breathing?" The Doctor said running over to the window.

"We can't be." Julia mumbled.  
>"Pocket full of sunshine she is." The Doctor retorted fumbling with his sonic screwdriver to try and open the window.<br>"Martha is there a balcony on this floor or a veranda?" Gaia asked, the Doctor still fumbling with the window.  
>"Yeah by the patients lounge."Martha replied.<br>"Fancy going out?" The Doctor asked turning around from the window, sneakily putting his sonic back in his pocket. He didn't bother ask Gaia, he knew what her answer would be anyway.  
>"Okay."<br>"We might die?"  
>"We might not." Martha replied, the Doctor grinned.<br>"Come on then." The Doctor said grabbing Gaia's hand and running towards the corridor, Martha following quickly behind. Julia slumped next to the wall, going into panic mode.

Reaching the balcony doors, the Doctor held them close for a sec. He looked at Gaia. Who gave him a slight nod. He then opened the doors. "We've got air. How does that work?" Martha said walking to the edge of the balcony and taking in the view.  
>"Just be glad it does." The Doctor said. He slowly snaked his arm around Gaia, knowing this would be hard for her. Gaia looked up at him.<br>"I'm fine." Gaia insisted but her voice broke mid word. The Doctor gave her a look. "Maybe a little." Gaia said quietly. The Doctor's arm around her tightened a little.

"It's beautiful." Martha said, breaking the moment between the Doctor and Gaia.  
>"D'you think?" Gaia asked.<br>"How many people want to go to the Moon? And here we are." Martha said gawking at her surroundings.  
>"Standing in the earthlight." The Doctor murmured, but his eyes were fixed on Gaia as he said it.<p>

"What d'you think happened?" Martha asked her question somewhat calmer then her initial reaction.  
>"What do you think?" The Doctor asked, turning his head to face Martha.<br>"Extraterrestrial. Got to be. I dunno, few years ago, that would've sounded mad, but these days... that spaceship flying into Big Ben. Christmas. And those Cybermen things, that battle in the sky... I had a cousin, Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. Never came home." Martha explained the Doctor's hearts dropped. Martha and Adeola had a likeness, Gaia realised. With the mental images running through her head of Adeola and Martha it wasn't surprising that people in the past had called the medical intern and her cousin twins.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor admitted to the intern.  
>"Yeah." Martha said, her tone showing the pair that she was fed up with the sympathy.<br>"I was there, in the battle, it was..." The Doctor started, but couldn't finish. It was Gaia's turn to squeeze him tight.  
>"I promise you, Mr &amp; Miss Smith, we'll find a way out. If we can travel to the Moon, then we can travel back, there's got to be a way. Are you a couple by the way?"<br>"What us? Ermm..." The Doctor said. Gaia shrugged her shoulders. "Nah, just good friends and it's not Smith. That's not my real name."  
>"Nor mine." Gaia agreed.<br>"Who are you two then?"  
>"I'm the Doctor."<br>"And I'm Gaia."

"What is it then, Dr Smith?" Martha asked Gaia stifled back a laugh.  
>"Just the Doctor." The Doctor said untangling himself from Gaia and walking over to the balcony's edge and looking down.<br>"How d'you mean, just the Doctor?" Martha asked, hands on hips looking both at the Doctor and Gaia.  
>"Just, the Doctor." The Doctor said defiantly.<br>"What, people call you "the Doctor"?"  
>"Yep."<br>"Well I'm not. Far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title." Martha said.

"Well I think we'd better make a start then? So we must be in sort of..." The Doctor rambled. Gaia picked up a small stone and threw it outwards in the direction of the earth. It bounced off an invisible force field and fell to the ground. "Force field." Gaia said with a smirk.  
>"Keeping the air in." The Doctor continued not wanting to loose his train of thought.<br>"But that means we've only got the air in the bubble. What happens when we run out?" Martha demanded.  
>"How many people in the hospital?" The Doctor asked.<br>"I dunno, a thousand?" Martha said still shocked at the fact that they would eventually run out of air.  
>"1000 people, suffocating. Well... 999." The Doctor said staring out at the vast expanse of the moon.<br>"999?" Martha asked.  
>"Never mind." The Doctor said waving his hand, he could see something coming. Something that not even Gaia's heighted eyesight could see yet, never mind Martha's.<br>"But why would anybody do that?" She asked. In answer 2 large canister shaped ships landed a few hundred metres away from the hospital.  
>"Ask them yourself." The Doctor murmured and ran into the hall, grabbing Gaia's hand as he ran past.<p>

Gaia, the Doctor and Martha all approached the small balcony that over looked the main reception. Hiding behind a plant, the trio looked through the glass railing as the aliens stormed the premises. "Judoon." Gaia murmured, showing her dislike of the rhino shaped creatures. The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Gaia's tone of voice.  
>"Met them before have we?" The Doctor asked, Gaia knew what he was implying.<br>"Tear away teen." Gaia admitted.  
>"I can imagine." The Doctor smirked.<p>

"Err... hello, what are Judoon? And what do they want with us?" Martha asked, worriedly turning to face Gaia and the Doctor.  
>"There like police, well police for hire..." The Doctor started.<br>"...more like interplanetary thugs." Gaia added.  
>"Oh, and they brought us to the moon?" Martha asked.<br>"Yep, H2O scoop." The Doctor said watching the Judoon on the level below as they started to shine blue lights in the human's faces.

"So what are we in trouble for trespassing on the moon or something?" Martha asked, in all seriousness. Gaia couldn't help but laugh.  
>"No but nice idea though. Under the galactic law, the Earth's moon is neutral territory." Gaia said, giving Martha an apologetic look for her laughter.<br>"Exactly and if they're making a catalogue it means they're looking for something not human which is very bad news for Gaia and I." The Doctor said his focus still on the reception area below.

"Why?" Martha asked, the Doctor turned his head and gave her a look, which was mirrored by Gaia. "But you can't be... you look human!" Martha said.  
>"Well actually you look time lord. We came first." The Doctor retorted.<br>"Well no, you both look like planet keepers as I came way... before both of you." Gaia said, smirking at the Doctor who kept open and closing his mouth like a fish trying to talk, as he finally realised he was no longer the oldest being in the room.

"Come on" The Doctor said shuffling away from the balcony edge, Gaia and Martha in the tow.

Several minutes later the trio arrived in the nursing station, the Doctor and Gaia instantly on the computers. The Doctor got out his sonic screwdriver and started to speed up the out dated computer. Martha asked what he was doing. He explained.

During this Gaia had managed to hack the computers but wasn't looking through the patients files as the Doctor was trying to do, she was seeing if she could make a call without the Doctor knowing. So engrossed in her work she didn't notice Martha walk out, heading for Mr Stoker's office.

Several minutes later, using an advanced computer software installed into her mobile and boosting the satellite signal from the new Archangel network she managed to get into the Torchwood's database. She quickly typed a quick message that would appear on Toshiko's screen back at the hub, she put basic details of what was going on and said she was handling it with a friend. Knowing she'd get a bollocking when she got back she added at the end "Doctor says hi" hoping that it would cover it.

When the Doctor yelled in frustration when the Judoon blocked the patients' files, Gaia quickly snapped out of it and closed the software on the computer, erasing it from the hard drive in the process.

"Stupid thick Judoon, they've wiped all the records." The Doctor yelled, slamming down the keyboard. "Got anything?" He asked hopefully. Gaia shook her head.  
>"Sorry. Nothing." Gaia lied. The Doctor huffed, although he wasn't really expecting to find anything more than he had. "Come on lets find Martha." The Doctor said getting up and walking out the door. Gaia quickly followed.<p>

Walking into the corridor he suddenly came face to face with a frantic Martha Jones. "Mar-..." He started but she cut him off.  
>"I found her."<br>"You did what?" Gaia said shocked. Before Martha could reply one of the doors down the corridor burst open and a guy dressed all in leather came running towards them.  
>"RUN!" The Doctor yelled pulling Martha and Gaia with him.<p>

And run they did. Through countless corridors, jumping over abandoned chairs and upturned table, when they came to a staircase. Above them the man in leather was quickly gaining and below an entire platoon of Judoon looking for non-humans, it wasn't looking good.

Running through the closest door the Doctor led the 2 women down more corridors and finally into an x-ray room. "When I say `now`, press the button!" The Doctor urged, swinging the 2 behind the lead screen, whilst he started to mess with the x-ray machine with the sonic.  
>"But I don't know which one!" Martha exclaimed.<br>"Then find out." The Doctor said urgently as he fiddled with the machine.

Then the banging on the door began. Gaia and Martha frantically look round the little booth looking for a manual or something. The door hinges start to give way as the leather man starts beating at the door. Finding a folder on one of the shelves Martha starts to quickly flick through it trying to find the correct page. Gaia was already ahead of her, seeing through her mild ability to see human's future, what Martha was about to read, before Martha read it herself.

Shocking both women the door fell flat and the leather man walked into the room. "NOW!" The Doctor yelled. Gaia whacked the giant yellow button on the control panel. The entire room flashed, black and white. The Doctor's skeleton being made visible as it flashed, but there was no skeleton from the leather man.

As the light dimmed the leather man stood rigid. Then fell remaining as stiff as a board. There was silence amongst the trio. "What did you do?" Martha asked slightly scared.  
>"Increased the radiation by 5000 percent. Killed him dead." The Doctor said sniffing. Gaia stepped out from behind the skin, she could feel the radiation tickling her skin, but it was no more than that, a light tickle. As the Doctor absorbed the radiation Gaia felt it less and less as she approached the dead leather `thing`.<p>

Martha remained behind the screen. "How come it's not affecting you 2?" She asked, sceptical of just who she was running around with.  
>"Made of tougher stuff. You can come out now, I've absorbed it all." The Doctor said. Martha tentatively stepped out from behind the screen her eyes darting between the Doctor and Gaia. "All I need to do is expel it, say, if I concentrate and shift the radiation out of my body and into one spot... say, my left shoe" The Doctor said and started to do a little dance, some how, neither Gaia nor Martha knew how, he was focusing the radiation into his left foot. With a few complaints by the Doctor he quickly whipped off his shoe and sock and shoved it in the waste disposal.<p>

"You're mad!" Martha said in disbelief.  
>"Finally someone agrees with me." Gaia said over dramatically. The Doctor just gave the pair a mad grin.<br>"Your right, I look odd with only one shoe." He said. Then he whipped off the other and chucked it carelessly behind him.

"Doctor, this thing it's just a slab. Pure leather. Someone's been controlling it and has managed to fool even me." Gaia said quite angrily for the usually happy and slightly excitable girl. The Doctor nodded at Gaia's observation, he walked back over to the x-ray machine and plucks out his sonic screwdriver.

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan, it was working for her!" Martha said.  
>"My Sonic Screwdriver!" The Doctor said holding up the charred and now useless device.<br>"She was one of the patience." Gaia said catching onto Martha's train of thought. She had seen the woman at the rounds with the interns this morning.  
>"But she killed Mr Stoker..." Martha said meekly. Martha thought she should be able to handle death a lot better, she was a doctor, well training to be and they had to work with death on almost a daily basis. But murder, no that came onto a whole new level.<p>

"It burnt out my sonic screwdriver!" The Doctor said still staring at his sonic, apparently not taking in a single word the girls were saying.  
>"She had a straw like some sort of vampire..." Martha said her tone still meek as she relived the horrid moment.<br>"I love my sonic screwdriver!" The Doctor said, still not apparently taking anything in.  
>"Doctor!" Both girls said simultaneously.<br>"Sorry!" He replied and chucked his burnt out screwdriver over his shoulder. "You called me Doctor!" He said happily directed at Martha.  
>"Anyway! Miss Finnegan, she was drinking Mr Stoker's blood." Martha said slightly impatiently.<p>

"Funny time to be having a snack." Gaia joked. The Doctor laughed.  
>"Words out of my mouth. But why? Unless... oh yes... she wasn't drinking it she was assimilating it!" The Doctor said. Gaia caught his drift.<br>"Internal shape shifter." Gaia muttered.  
>"Exactly, she's no longer the needle in the haystack, more the slightly off piece of hay in the hay stack and we're the 2 extra needles." The Doctor said, getting a very confused look off Martha and Gaia for his analogy. "Never mind, the important thing is we find her and show her to the Judoon, otherwise she'll show up as human!" The Doctor said running out into the corridor. Gaia and Martha quickly followed.<p>

Hiding behind a one of the trolleys the group were silent as another slab walked past. "Slabs they always travel in pairs." The Doctor muttered still in a hush voice.  
>"What about you 2 then? If your not together are you what... complicated?" Martha asked.<br>"Humans! We're stuck on the Moon, running out of air, with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, and you're asking personal questions ... come on." The Doctor said with a tut. Gaia quickly followed, hoping to remain well and truly out of this conversation.  
>"Humans I like that. I'm not fully convinced you both aliens..." Martha said but quickly stopped as the trio rounded a corner and were met with 2 Judoon.<p>

The Judoon held up scanners to the Doctor's and Gaia's heads and unlike the time when they scanned for humans the light didn't flash blue this time, it flashed red. "Non-human." One Judoon said in its monotone voice.  
>"Oh my god, you really are." Martha said in shock.<br>"Never mind that, RUN!" Gaia exclaimed. Grabbing the Doctor's hand and running down the corridor, Martha in the tow.

The trio end up running down more corridors, but this time double back on themselves and go down to a lower level to escape the Judoon. Entering the corridor they see patients leaning against the wall, most gasping for breath as the oxygen levels plummeted. "Come on, we can't help them. Where's Mr Stoker's office?" The Doctor asked Martha.  
>"This way..." Martha said leading the group down the corridor. She gave a weak smile to one of the interns who was helping some of the patients as she walked past.<p>

Martha, the Doctor and Gaia burst through the door of Mr Stoker's office too find it empty. "She was here." Martha said in desperation. The Doctor and Gaia ignored her and ran over to the dead Mr Stoker. "Bone dry. She is a Plasmavore." Gaia said. The Doctor nodded in confirmation.  
>"What's she doing here?" Martha asked.<br>"On the run, judging by the Judoon." The Doctor said looking down at the body. He abruptly stood up and walked to the door. "Come on we need to find her." The Doctor said. Gaia nodded and placed Mr Stoker's hands on his chest. Martha came round the other side of her and closed his eyes, making it look like Mr Stoker was in fact asleep rather than dead. They both then stood up and followed the Doctor out into the corridor.

"Think think think, if I was a wanted Plasmavore, surrounded by police, what would I do?" The Doctor said then spotted the MRI sign on the wall. "Uh oh... she's almost as clever as me, almost." He continued.

Before Gaia could come up with a retort they were interrupted the sound of heavy steps of the Judoon. "Go I'll hold them off!" Gaia urged pushing Martha and the Doctor down the corridor. The Doctor looked back fearfully; Gaia just stared at him urging him to go. Grabbing Martha's hand he made his way for the MRI room.

Pulling her Torchwood gun out of her trousers Gaia quickly made a well aimed shot at the light further down the corridor. It exploded in sparks, catching the Judoon's attention. "Non-human. Contain for full body scan." One of them said charging towards her.  
>Gaia quickly made an abrupt turn leading the platoon of Judoon down the corridor after the Doctor. Following the arrows she quickly turned a corner and came face to face with Martha. "Don't ask questions just take that and hold them off for a bit." Gaia said shoving the gun in Martha's hand and walking into the MRI room.<p>

As soon as Gaia stepped into the room she was restrained by the slab. "Ahhhh... the Planet-keeper. I could smell you from miles away." The Plasmavore said twiddling a straw in her fingers. "Your blood will be useless though. If the Judoon are increasing their scans then I need human blood." She said and turned to the Doctor, who Gaia assumed was pretending to be human.  
>"What are you talking about?" The Doctor stuttered. Gaia had to commend him; he was a very good actor.<br>"Knock her out and restrain him." The Plasmavore continued. Before Gaia could retaliate a sharp pain hit the back of her head and she was knocked unconscious.

Gaia groaned and cracked her eyelid. She was facing the side of an ambulance. She sat up quickly. "Don't worry I'm here. Lie back down, you got some whack on the head." The Doctor said sitting next to her. Gaia relaxed and lowered her head back down.  
>"What happened?" Gaia said wincing a little as she noticed the pain in her head.<br>"You got whacked in the head; ended up needing a few stitches there was a nasty gash." The Doctor rambled.  
>"Not that. The Plasmavore, I'm guessing the Judoon got her?" Gaia said with a smile.<br>"Oh her. Yep the Judoon got her, case closed and then sent the hospital back to Earth. Couple of tonnes of oxygen later and everyone's fine and dandy." The Doctor said, purposely not telling her that half of the Earth had almost been destroyed in the process.  
>"Good. And Martha?" Gaia asked slowly sitting up, the Doctor didn't stop her this time.<br>"With her sister." The Doctor said calmly. Gaia nodded as the Doctor helped her to her feet. Then leaning heavily of the Doctor they made their way over to the Tardis.

After Gaia had gotten changed and the Doctor had healed the gash in her head the Doctor landed the Tardis in a side alley in London. Taking Gaia's hand he led her out and onto the road, where they witnessed an abrupt end to a Jones family reunion. Martha was left standing at the door on her own when she spotted the 2 across the street.

The Doctor spun Gaia round and walked into the alleyway to wait for Martha to catch them up.

"I went to the Moon today." Martha said approaching the pair.  
>"Bit more peaceful than down here." Gaia joked softly getting a small chuckled out of Martha.<br>"You never even told me who you two are?" Martha said her curiosity adamant.  
>"The Doctor."<br>"Gaia." They both said.

"But what sort of species? And it's not every day I get to ask that." Martha asked.  
>"I'm a Time Lord."<br>"Planet-keeper."

"Right. Not pompous at all, then." They all laughed. The Doctor then rummages through his pocket and pulls out a brand new identical sonic screwdriver and flips it in his hand.  
>"I just thought... Since you saved my life, and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing... You might fancy a trip." He offered.<p>

"What? Into space? But... I can't, I've got exams, I've got things to do, I've got to go into town first thing and pay the rent, and I've got my family going mad" Martha said listing reasons why she couldn't go. Gaia rolled her eyes.  
>"If it helps this does travel in time!" Gaia said.<br>"Get out of here!" Martha said.  
>"No it does." The Doctor replied.<br>"I've seen a lot today but that's taking it a bit far." Martha retorted crossing her arms.  
>"I'll prove it." The Doctor said and dragged Gaia into the Tardis.<p>

"Okay, where are we going?" Gaia asked, putting her hands on her hips as the Doctor ran over to the console.  
>"This morning!" The Doctor said cheerfully, loving every second of it.<p>

The Tardis landed with a thump and the Doctor pulled Gaia out of the door. Meandering their way onto the high street they saw Martha Jones chatting idly on her mobile. The Doctor wraps his arm round Gaia's waist and walks over to Martha. "Like so." He said whipping of his tie. "You see." Then walked off, leaving a very confused Martha.

They both landed back in the ally promptly. They both stepped out of the Tardis the Doctor still having tie in his hand. "But that's imposs..." Martha was cut off by a ringing. Gaia put up one finger and pulled a small Bluetooth piece out of her pocket. She placed it in her ear and pressed a button on the side.

"Hello?" She said, but she already knew who was calling. She winced at the ear full she got. "(Gaia are you okay?) Yes I'm fine... (Are you on your way back to Cardiff?) no I'm still in London... (Are you even coming back?) yes I'll be coming back... (Good, cos if you bloody well don't I will change your room into another office!) alright keep your knickers on... (Is the Doctor there?) Yes he's here... (Can I speak to him?) no you can't... (Why not?) timey whimey...(Did you just say timey whimey?) yes I did just say that... (Did you make that up?) no I did not make it up...(I'm fed up with this get back soon!) fine whatever I'll be back soon...(No I don't want your soon, I want my soon. You soon is blimming 100 years!) okay then tell me what the time is and I'll be there in a second... (Did you take my vortex manipulator?) what no of course I didn't... (But there's only one. Did you steal one of someone else?)If I was going to steal yours you wouldn't be wearing it right now would you... (Then how did you get one?) it was invented of earth so I new about it, happy... (Oh, well it's good to hear your okay!) it's good to hear from you too... (Owen would like me to remind you that you owe him a pint because he beat you record!) do I now... (Would you like to talk to him?) I've got to go... (Okay see you in a few) see you soon... (Bye) bye!" Gaia said ending the call. She had earned to very weird looks off the Doctor and Martha.

"What?" Gaia asked.  
>"Who was that?" the Doctor asked, slightly shocked.<br>"A friend." Gaia replied. There was an awkward silence between the group. "Are you going to show Martha the Tardis then or not?" Gaia asked, snapping the Doctor out of it.  
>"Oh, yes. Come on take a step inside!" The Doctor said happily walking into the Tardis, Martha quickly followed.<p>

With them both in the Tardis, Gaia quickly fiddled with her vortex manipulator, plugging in the correct coordinates for the hub. She hit the transport button when Martha ran back out of the Tardis.

"Okay... Doctor Gaia's gone!" Martha called back to the Doctor inside the Tardis.  
>"Oh... probably an emergency. She'll find us again." The Doctor said grinning as Martha walked back into the Tardis, getting over her initial shock of its size.<br>"Oh okay..." Martha murmured.  
>"Okay then Martha Jones, where do you want to go first?" The Doctor said with a manic grin, flipping a switch on the console.<p>

Gaia arrived in Roald Dahl Plass at the time Jack had stated over the phone. Waving at the hidden CCTV camera, she walked over to the Plass edge and waited for her boss to appear. God knew she was going to get an earful. Her phone rang again, she reluctantly answered it. "Where the hell have you been?" Jack shouted down the phone at her.  
>"Are we going to do this over the phone or are you going and come talk to me like a civil person Jack?" Gaia said massaging her temples as she started to get a mild headache. She turned around quickly to see Jack standing on the lift, the perception filter having no affect on her.<p>

"You're late!" He stated.  
>"How late?" Gaia asked worriedly.<br>"A few weeks." Jack said walking over to her.  
>"Weeks? But that's..." Gaia trailed off looking at her vortex manipulator. She had muddled up the coordinates. "Oh..."<br>"Oh indeed." Jack said acting as an older brother would.  
>"Alright I'm sorry, I'm here now, can't really change the fact I was late."<br>"Suppose your right. You gave me a right scare though." Jack said and pulled Gaia in to hug. "Don't you dare do that again!"  
>Gaia giggled. "Can't make any promises there." She joked, Jack rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Tosh on his comm.<p>

"Jack, its Owen I've traced his mobile. He's at some sort of club on the far side of the city. It's called `Combat`, you might want to check it out." Tosh said to Jack.  
>"Thanks Tosh will do!" Jack said. He then turned to face Gaia. "Up for it?" He asked.<br>Gaia smiled. "Always."


	6. Combat & Captain Jack Harkness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

Swinging the SUV round Jack halted the vehicle centimetres away from the side entrance to the warehouse. He pulled the Webley out of its holster and turned to Gaia, who now had her Torchwood standard gun out. "Ready?" He asked, still giving her the option to wait here if need be.  
>"Ready!" She said and opened the door.<p>

The pair walked over to the side entrance and leant their backs either side of the door. Jack counted to three. On 3 he kicked down the door and they both bursted in, Jack fired into the air to attract people's attention. He unfortunately attracted Owen's attention as well, taking it off the Weevil; it was that moment the Weevil chose to pounce.

"OWEN!" Gaia yelled. Ignoring the other fleeing people, she ran over to the cage entrance and blasted the lock open.

The Weevil inside seems to sense Gaia as she walked into the cage, it dropped Owen and started to cower away. Gaia gave the creature a fierce look and ran over to the collapsed Owen. "Owen, Owen. Stay with me now." Gaia urged supporting Owens body. Owen mumbled something, his words slurring making no sense. He had blood pooling from a very nasty bite on his neck, all in all he needed to get to hospital...fast. Gaia lowered her hand over Owen's bite, through ways she could even understand, she began to heal the punctured artery, causing the bleeding to lessen. She could do more, but her fatigue was wearing her down, they need to get him to a hospital. "Jack! Help me, now!" Gaia shouted, taking a piece of cloth from her jacket pocket (bigger on the inside pockets thanks to the Tardis) and applying pressure to Owen's bite.

Jack walked up to the entrance of the cage as the Weevil started to edge closer to Gaia. Hearing the shuffling foot steps of the Weevil, Gaia turned around and growled. It wasn't a growl a human could even make; it was a growl an animal would make in defence, in dominance. Just by the growl the Weevil cowered back into the corner of the cage, head between its knees, hands on the back of its neck. It knew who the dominant species in the cage was. If Jack hadn't known Gaia wasn't human, he'd have defiantly had known by now.

Jack skirted his way over to Gaia, trying to remain as far away as possible from the Weevil. "Come on, up we get." Jack said. He crouched down and picked up Owen, bridal style. Oh the taunts Jack could think of to tell the medic when he recovered where going to be priceless. He noticed Owen's bleeding had lessened considerably and how tired Gaia suddenly looked. He knew what she had done. She had done it before in front of him. He may have known Gaia for centuries, but she did never cease to amaze him.

Walking out of the cage the pair assumed everyone had run off, but one remained. His name was Mark Lynch.

He had hidden in the shadows whilst everyone else had run, this was his business. If it was going to end, then he was going to end with it. So when Jack and Gaia had taken the unconscious Owen out of the cage, he struck. He ran past the pair and back into the cage, closing it behind him.

"What are you doing? It'll kill you!" Gaia shouted in protest. Mark smirked.  
>"Yes it will." Mark replied eyeing the Weevil cowering in the corner.<p>

Jack turned his back on the man, he wasn't worth it. He made his way to the side entrance and lay Owen across the back seats of the SUV. Then hopped into the driver's seat and waited for Gaia.

Gaia stood rooted on the spot in the warehouse. "Mark, what are you doing?" She asked again this time addressing by his name. This causes Mark to look up from the Weevil.  
>"Tell me this. We've had 100's of people fighting this thing in here, yet it's never acted like this. Just who are you?" Mark asked venomously. Gaia could feel the anger bubbling inside of her. She knew Jack's intentions, she knew he was waiting and she knew every moment she wasted in here with Mark, Owen was slowly dying. What did she do, in a vain attempt try and save 2 lives, which would most likely lead to 2 deaths, did she stay or save 1 life for definite by going.<p>

She already knew her choice.

"I hope you find what you're looking for!" She spat making her anger evident and turned her back on Mark and the Weevil and marched out of the room. She felt the human life leave the room as she did.

Jack sat next to Owen's bed, they had taken him to Cardiff General, they were used to patching up Torchwood staff. Gaia was sat on his lap, her head resting on his chest, fast asleep. It was only 9 pm, but apparently she hadn't slept since she was last in Cardiff, which was 3 days by her body clock. He sighed.

"You're a very bad pillow, you keep moving." Gaia said, staying in the same position on Jack's chest.  
>"I'm going to take that at as a compliment." Jack said chuckling. Gaia opened her eyes and sat up.<br>"How can you take that as a compliment?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Before Jack could reply Owen groaned.

"Owen..." Gaia said getting to her feet.  
>"...Where am I?" Owen groaned, squinting his eyes.<br>"Cardiff General. You were pretty beat up!" Gaia said, calmly.  
>"Gaia? When did you get back?" He mumbled.<br>"Few hours ago." Gaia replied.  
>"If I wasn't in pain I'd be grilling you right now!" Owen said, his anger starting to become evident. Gaia stiffened.<br>"I won't bother next time then." She spat and stormed out of the ward, heading back to the SUV.

Gaia walked up to the SUV and climbed into the passenger seat. She left the door open to let a breeze in. She knew she shouldn't have let her anger get the better of her like that. She had been told by everyone she let her anger get the better of her too often. Her parents told her all too often. She smiled a little at the memory. She missed them, all of them. She was the last of her kind and how the universe seemed bigger now she was alone. To the average species 17 years would be a long time to get over the fact, although many never would, but to a planet-keeper 17 years was nothing. It was a blip, a millisecond compared to their long lives. It could take millennia for Gaia to finally accept what had happened to Starnet, but like the many she doubted she ever would.

Jack left the hospital, Gaia's angry outburst powering his own anger at the Torchwood medic, who apparently didn't want to be saved. He looked up from his feet and caught sight of Gaia. She was sitting in the SUV, sunroof open staring up at the stars. He sighed. He thought he had it hard. He may have lost his home all those years ago, but Gaia had lost everything. Her home, her family, her friends, her entire species, yet she sat there, usually with a cheerful composition, not wallowing in self pity. So why should he. He's `Captain Jack Harkness` for Christ's sakes.

Jack walked over to the driver's side of the SUV and climbed in. Gaia put her seatbelt on but kept her eyes fixed on the sky through the sun roof. Jack just assumed she was watching the stars, she had much better eyesight then him and probably could see a planet or something, but that wasn't what she was looking at. It was a satellite, a satellite she didn't remember being sent into orbit, much less a satellite with a perception filter.

Gaia sat on one of the swiverly chairs in the hub, wearing an oversized hoodie. She had one knee to her chest, tucked under her jumper; she had her hood up with one ear of her iPod in. She was currently going through recent news articles on satellite launches. The only coherent one was the launch of the Archangel network, by a Mr Harold Saxon. She had never heard of the man, which had her worried.

She pulled the headphone out of her ear and turned to Owen who was on the couch. "Owen who's..." But she stopped when she saw Owen was asleep, mouth ajar on the couch. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the monitor.

Something was wrong about Harold Saxon. He seemed to have the perfect life, too perfect. Try as she might, she also couldn't find an image of him, none. Found pictures of his wife, but none of him, which was strange.

Gaia went onto the most recent news story. It was from a few minutes ago, an intercept from the metropolitan police. Apparently a Professor Lazarus was doing an experiment grand revealing tonight. The apparent answer to immortality, but it had backfired and he had become a `code 568`, AKA he had gone berserk. Civilians were being treated by local ambulances, but Lazarus had escaped police custody; a while male about 6ft with brown messy hair in a tux ran after him, followed by two dark females of 5ft 2' and 5ft 4' in evening attire.

Although slightly concerned about the whole incident Gaia smiled a little. It was being handled by the best. She couldn't help but imagine the Doctor all dressed up in his tux.

She was quickly snapped out of it by an alarm from Tosh's work station. It woke Owen up. "What in the bloody hell is that?" He said groggily.  
>"Tosh's rift monitor. It's been going off more often since we sent Diane back." Ianto said inspecting the monitor.<br>"Can you turn it off?" Owen barked, ignoring Ianto's last comment. Putting her leg down Gaia pushed her chair over to Tosh's workstation. After typing in a chain of commands, the alarms stopped. "Thank you!" Owen said dramatically and flopped back down onto the couch.

Gaia rolled back to her desk. Jack and Tosh had gone to check out a disturbance at an old dance hall. Apparently the neighbours had reported hearing 1940's music coming from it, but every time someone would check it out they'd find nothing. So Tosh and Jack had decided to have a look, checking for rift activity.

"I should call Tosh." Ianto said and pulled a mobile out of his pocket. Gaia turned back to the work station and decided to do a bit more research on a certain Harold Saxon. Ianto meanwhile was on the phone calling Tosh, but all he got was a dead line.

"The line's dead." Ianto stated. Gaia abruptly turned back to Ianto.  
>"Okay, let's have a look where this rift spike was located, because I have a bad feeling I know where." Gaia said, standing up and running over to Tosh's desk. Ianto came up and stood behind her.<br>"Oh..." Gaia said as the computer displayed the location of the rift spike. "...this is bad."

"Can you 2 be any louder? Some of us are trying to sleep here!" Owen barked, remaining still of the couch.  
>"How about you get off your lazy arse and help! Tosh and Jack have just been pulled through the rift and you're moaning about a bit of noise!" Gaia retorted. Owen Harper could do many incredible things, one of those being an absolute idiot. Ianto chuckled as Owen went white at Gaia's reply.<p>

"I'll call Gwen and tell her to check it out!" Ianto said pulling his mobile out again and calling Gwen.  
>"Tell her to be careful." Gaia said, turning back to the monitor. Ianto nodded. Gaia began to research the dance hall.<p>

Owen slowly got up from the couch and walked behind Gaia. "Are you peed off with me or something?" Owen asked. Gaia didn't take her eyes of the screen.  
>"In a matter of the word, yes." Gaia replied.<br>"Why? I mean I know I act like a prat, but not even Jack can hold a grudge for this long... I mean what gives you the right to even be peed off with me. I didn't disappear for weeks and turn up in the middle of the night... You've been on record for Torchwood for almost 20 years yet you don't look any older than 18 yourself. Just who are you?" Owen ranted.  
>"You want to know who I am." Gaia spat, turning away from the monitor.<br>"Yes. Not being kept in the dark for once would be a bloody relief."  
>"Alright then, I'm a 2 billion year old alien who's half a universe from home. I met Jack when I was a few millennia and we've been friends ever since. When my planet was destroyed in war, a friend brought me to Earth. I am Earth's keeper and know everyone who's ever stepped on the planet. A human life is but a spec compared to mine, so what gives me the right you ask... well I think that just about covers it!" Gaia finished and turned back to the monitor and continued working.<p>

Owen stood there mouth agape in shock. How did he reply to that? And for once in his life he stepped down off his pedestal and walked away.

Things had gone from bad to worse. Jack and Tosh had fallen through the rift and ended up in the 1940's and had no means to return back to the present day. Ianto had got Gwen in to look around the dance hall but she found no sign of Jack and Tosh except the SUV parked outside. Although she did meet a rather unsettling character called Billis Manger. Gaia knew who he was but knew he had a secret, a secret so dark, so concealed that not even she knew what it was. And that in itself was worrying.

They may have managed to get Tosh and Jack out of the 1940's and back into the 21st century, but had to open the rift in the process. Gaia had tried to convince Owen and Ianto that there was another way to do this, all she needed was the dance hall's coordinates and she could go get Tosh and Jack herself. She had almost convinced Ianto, but as time passed and the search for the Jack's and Tosh' coordinates became more and more impossible; Owen became more and more impatient. He ended up whacking Ianto over the head and handcuffing Gaia to the handrail leading to the autopsy room. Then he opened the Rift, not knowing what could come through.

"I think we did alright...opening the rift." Owen announced, to Ianto and Gaia. Ianto had come around, a slight bump rising on his head and was now unlocking Gaia from the railings.  
>"Still no sign of Billis." Ianto murmured. Owen ignored his response.<br>"Good thing I had those handy." Owen said pointing at the handcuffs. "God knows what that thing could have done." Owen remarked snidely.  
>"Thing? What thing?" Ianto commented helping Gaia to her feet. He then walked her over to one of the workstations and cleaned up her bloody wrist from where it had been cut by the cuffs. She pulled away insisting that she'd be fine, before having a look at the large bump on his head. He winced as she applied an ice pack to it.<br>"Her... she's an alien. She told me." Owen said pointing to Gaia, who was wrapping her wrist in a thin bandage. She could easily heal it but that would only fuel Owen's fire.  
>"What are you talking about?" Ianto asked, holding the ice pack to his bump.<br>"I think the rift energy has got to your head Owen." Gaia added. "I'm human. Just like you."  
>"No your not. You said earlier that you're some 2 billion old alien thing." Owen barked, getting defensive.<p>

"Who's some billion year old alien thing? And what happened to you 2?" Jack said as he walked into the hub, followed by Tosh and Gwen.  
>"Jack!" Gaia said happily, running over to him for a hug. He swept her off her feet. When he finally lowered Gaia down she turned to Tosh and gave her a hug. "You 2 okay?" She asked. Tosh nodded.<br>"Yep fine and dandy. But who is a 2 billion year old alien Owen was talking about? And why are you two hurt?" Jack asked, purposely avoiding making eye contact with Gaia.  
>"We're fine and..." Gaia replied but Owen cut her off.<p>

"She is. She said when we were trying to get you lot back, that she was some alien thing an Earth-keeper or what ever." Owen barked pointing at Gaia.  
>"Owen... are you alright?" Gwen asked, considerably worried about the mental welfare of her colleague.<br>"Oh don't give me that. We've all known she wasn't human... we've all seen her records. She's been here 20 years yet she doesn't even look 20! She disappears and reappears when she likes and no one batters an eyelid when she does! I mean we've done scans over the hub looking for human life and it never counts her, all of us but not her. Yet when we do blood tests it says human. So how in the hell is that possible?" Owen barked.  
>"Alright that's enough. Owen you're obviously over worked, go home. Take the next few days off... that's an order!" Jack commanded. Owen stared at Jack, who had put a protective arm around Gaia. He then stormed out of the hub, the door rolling closed behind him.<p>

The group remain still in silence, no one knowing what to say. Gwen, Tosh and Ianto all knew what Owen was talking about though; they had all suspected it as well. Just what were their bosses hiding from them? Jack tried to break the silence. "Who's up for some pizza?" He asked cheerfully. No one responded.

Gaia sat in her room that night, contemplating what Owen had said. She shouldn't let it get to her like this, she knew the risks that came with staying on Earth, her and Jack had made the decision to keep her species secret when she first arrived. But this team was different; they were more alert than all the others. They noticed all her differences to them, her eating habits, her sleeping habits. She had managed to hack their accounts and as a group had managed to written quite an extensive biography about her. She admitted she was impressed. Thankfully though, they hadn't figured out her biological differences, if they worked that out... trouble wouldn't cover it.

But there was something else, she couldn't help but feel something nagging at the back of her skull that she was missing something, something important, something that was staring at her in the face. And to be honest it was giving her a headache. Which in itself wasn't good, planet-keepers didn't get headaches. It was impossible in the same way humans couldn't get telepathic illness, it just didn't happen.

Gaia was sitting at her desk in her room, leaning back with her feet up. She was massaging her temples, hoping to relieve the pain. She needed to get out. Not just out of the hub, but out of the 21st century all together. Not forever...just for a holiday of sorts. She missed those days when she was younger that her and Jack would travel amongst the stars. Yeah he had been a con man and they had been arrested quite a few times due to his dodgy deals, but the places they saw and the laughs they had... she would do anything to let that happen again.

This is when she realised her escape was staring at her in the face...

...her vortex manipulator, sitting on the desk in front of her. It was much better than Jack's, the only time it had gone wrong was her own doing. All she needed was some coordinates and then she could get out of here, for a while at least. She could have week's worth of holidays and come back here with only 5 minutes passing. But where would she get coordinates from?

As if by magic her mobile chose that minute to go off. Pulling it out of her pocket she noticed it was a text from an unknown number. She opened the message wearily and was shock to fine it was a set of coordinates... with a kiss. What did she do? Put in these coordinates from an unknown source and hope for the best or find another set, which could take weeks.

It was a no brainer. She grabbed her jacket, iPod, phone and gun off her desk then typed in the coordinates. She put her gun in its holster around her leg and her phone and iPod in her jacket pockets. With a final glance around her room and down at the, now empty, hub, Gaia pressed the button and disappeared.

Gaia landed quite graciously in a bedroom, which was a first. Vortex manipulators were infamous for their bumpy landings. She looked at the room, guessing by the decor of the bedroom she assumed she was on a cruise liner of sorts. She flipped open her vortex and was about to run a scan of her environment when a woman walked in.

"Oh, you're here. Put this dress on and meet me by the bar we've got work to do. Just turn left and follow the corridor to the dance hall, the bars on your right. See you in a minute." The Woman said handing Gaia a gold cocktail dress, a pair of heels and a bag. Gaia stood their shocked. Who was that woman?

Deciding she better do as she's told Gaia slipped on the dress, which fit her perfectly, and placed her old clothes in the bag. It was bigger on the inside so she had no doubt which wardrobe it came from.

Gaia quickly wound up her hair in a bun and let the hair fall forward a bit at the front. Placing the heels on the woman had left; she looked in the mirror again. She scrubbed up pretty well considering. She kept the vortex on her wrist and gun in its holster around her leg under her dress. She then left the room, following the woman's instructions to the dance hall. Not knowing what she had gotten herself into.

Walking into the dance hall, Gaia was awestruck. This was certainly first class. The room was... wow. Gaia tore her eyes away from the dance floor and looked to the right. The woman was there calling her over. Gaia walked slowly over and sat on the bar stool next to her. "You okay sweetie you looked terrified?" The woman asked. Gaia nodded slowly in reply.

"So where are we? Have we done Darium yet?" The woman asked, reading from a small blue diary she had pulled out of her bag. Gaia gave her a blank look. "Obviously not? Wow early days then?" She said and flipped a few pages in her diary. "What about Paris?" She asked. Gaia gave another blank look. "Oh look at you, you're so young!" The woman said stroking Gaia's cheek. Gaia felt slightly uncomfortable.  
>"I'm really not." Gaia said moving her head out of the woman's hand.<br>"Gaia do you know who I am?" The woman asked slowly, like she already knew the answer but was scared at it being said.  
>"I'm sorry; I don't know who you are. Well I do, but I've never met you before!" Gaia replied. The woman's face dropped a little.<br>"Oh..." She said and put the diary back in her bag. She smiled. "Dr River Song." Dr Song said holding out her hand, Gaia shook it.  
>"Gaia." Gaia replied. "So what are we doing here? I'm guessing it's not for the party." She said, indicating at the dancing couples on the dance floor. They were dancing to some song Gaia didn't recognise, all she could pick out was 3 words from the chorus `Time of Angels`. If only she knew the irony in that song choice.<p>

"No. We're going to attract someone's attention." River said and started to walk off, Gaia quickly followed. River led Gaia down corridor after corridor.

"So let me get this straight..." Gaia began as she stood outside the door keeping watch. "Your going to graffiti a message on the ship's black box, in some attempt that 1000's of years in the future a certain person, who you refuse to tell me whom, will find, understand and come get us." Gaia finished.  
>"Yes, sweetie. Now shh...I'm busy." River replied from inside the small room with the black box. She pulled out a pair of black shades and a small laser.<p>

Gaia raised her eyebrows at River's response. No one spoke to her like that, Jack did but he'd known her for years. Who exactly did this woman think she was?

Two minutes later River walked out of the room, winked at the camera and dragged Gaia down the corridor to the airlock, right around the same time a well dressed man and 2 guards came round the corner. The guard's guns aimed at the 2 girls.

"Dr Song, why am I not surprised?" The man begun. "It seems you had an accomplice as well. You and Mrs Smith are well known for your crimes." The man said. River and Gaia spun around to face them, backs to the air lock.  
>"Mrs?"Gaia said raising an eyebrow. She was defiantly not a Mrs.<br>"You know me, always making friends." River said with a wink then looked up a little. "476-delta-quad-slash- acorn. Oh and an air corridor would be lovely dear." River said winking at the security camera above the man's head. The man wasn't amused.  
>"Enough of the games, Dr Song. You and Mrs Smith will be taken to the hold until the police arrive." The man replied sternly and the two guards took aim. River laughed.<br>"As I told you on the dance floor, you may want to hold onto something." River said bluntly. Then as she said it the air lock flew open hurtling Gaia and River into space.

The 2 girls floated in the midst of space for all but a second, when they were pulled towards a rather familiar blue box. A man Gaia didn't recognise yanked open the door and pulled the 2 girls in. They landed rather awkwardly on top of him. "Gaia...River?" The man said. River and Gaia abruptly stood up; River turned back out to the doorway.  
>"Follow that ship." She said.<p> 


	7. Time Of Angels

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

Gaia stood by the railings as River ran round the console. She assumed she was in the Tardis and boy it had had a makeover, and so had the Doctor. He was running around following River, demanding how she knew how to fly the Tardis and where they were going and what not. It was quite amusing to watch. Gaia smiled at the sight, she had only known this woman a mere 10 minutes and she already knew more than the Doctor. Being a Planet-keeper did have its bonus'.

"And I've parked her right beside it." River announced, her heels swinging off the bottom of the Tardis monitor.  
>"Parked? How could you have parked her? She didn't make the sound!" The Doctor argued pouting like a child.<br>"What sound?" River asked.  
>"You know..." The Doctor began and then made a wheezing sound that could very faintly resemble that off the Tardis.<br>"It's not supposed to make that sound. You leave the hand break on." River said smiling. The Doctor rolled his eyes.  
>"Yeah well I like it." The Doctor argued.<p>

During this domestic Gaia had decided to go and see where they had landed. So very sneakily she walked to the door and took a step outside.

She was shocked to see that the space cruiser she had been on minutes ago, crashed and up in flames on top of an ancient temple. River came up and stood next to her. Even just by looking at the crash they could both tell that there were no survivors.

"What caused it to crash? We didn't." River asked as the Doctor as he stepped out of the Tardis, followed by a ginger girl whom Gaia had failed to notice when she landed in the Tardis. Her name was Amelia Pond and oh... Gaia's hearts broke at the sight of a 7 year old girl fast asleep in her backgarden waiting for her Doctor to come. And wow River was, or should she say Melody, was her...

Gaia didn't realise that the Doctor was asking her a question. "What?" She asked, snapping out of it.  
>"You sweetheart, what are you doing here? We just dropped you off in the USA to visit Jack." The Doctor stated.<br>"USA? Why would Jack be in America? He's in Cardiff and I don't think pissed off would cover how he feels about you right now. And what are you talking about, dropped me off? I just came from Cardiff myself. " Gaia asked, hand on hip. The Doctor's face dropped and he put his left hand into his pocket.  
>"Gaia when was the last time you saw me?" He asked a hint of desperation in his voice.<br>"Royal Hope Hospital with Martha was the last time I saw you. Have to say though loving the new regeneration? Is it just a habit that you get younger and younger or is it the same with every Timelord?" Gaia asked, not seeing the Doctor's hearts break. The Doctor put on a fake smile and pulled his left hand out of his pocket, his hand considerably lighter than it had been in a long time.  
>"Well you know, still not ginger." The Doctor joked, his acting skills as good as ever.<p>

River rolled her eyes. Amelia had stayed decidedly quiet during this conversation, deciding to question the Doctor later about, what she though to be, Gaia's sudden amnesia. River's communicator broke the silence.

"Song, this is cleric. Do you have it? We've just seen the ship crash, we need to get moving." A muffled voice said from the communicator.  
>"Yes I know we saw it land..." River said pulling the communicator up to her mouth. She then started to make her way across the uneven ground in front of her, stilettos in hand.<p>

Gaia felt something vibrate in her bag. She dug her arm in and pulled out her mobile. It was a text from Jack. "Where are you?" It read. "Complicated. X" Gaia replied quickly, 17 years on Earth had made her record of sending a ten word text only several seconds. This text was sent in a blink of an eye. She then put her phone on silent and put it back in her bag. She looked up to see Amy and the Doctor talking in hush tones.

Half way across the landscape, River turned back to the Doctor and held up her communicator. "Can you sonic me love? They need to lock onto my location." River called the Doctor. He reluctantly got out his sonic and pointed it at River. She curtsied in thanks and continued to walk on.  
>"Oooo... Doctor you soniced her!" Amy said mischievously. The Doctor rolled his eyes and let out a huff. Amy then turned back to Gaia. "Sorry about that."<br>"Sorry for what? You took the words out of my mouth." Gaia replied with a grin. She then turned her attention to her shoes, changing them into her converse in her bag. She didn't notice Amy's expression turn to worry, or the way she turned back to the Doctor who looked heart broken.

The Doctor then stormed over to River. "What have you dragged us into? I can't be their every time to catch you." He said through gritted teeth as Amy and Gaia followed quickly behind him.  
>"That's where you wrong sweetie." River said with a wink. The Doctor didn't look amused; River rolled her eyes, but not before looking at Gaia. "There's a creature in the belly of that ship that can never die." River continued. The trio all looked up at her. "Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?"<p>

Gaia was now sat in a cavern. She had changed into some clothes River had given her, a pair of combat trousers and a vest top, and had discarded the, albeit lovely, potentially dangerous party dress. She had put it in the depths of her bag and had very cleverly managed to place her gun around her lower leg, so it was easy to get to if need be.

Surrounding her at the moment was a small makeshift base, with soldiers rushing around everywhere. Amy and the Doctor were sitting a few metres away at a table talking intensely about a topic Gaia didn't either bother listen about. Her ears were burning so that was indication enough for what they were talking about. She was studying the soldiers instead. She knew only a few of their names; very few had stepped on Earth. Which wasn't surprising, they were quite a distance away from the planet. But they acted so...different to soldiers on Earth. They were soldiers yes, trained to kill in some of the cruellest ways, but these men were also clerics, members of the church. They showed compassion and asked for forgiveness. Something, she was sad to say, many 21st century humans were not doing as often as they should.

River's call broke her concentration. "Sweeties, in here please." Gaia ignored her for a while, presuming she meant the Doctor. The Doctor ignored her presuming she meant Gaia. Amy didn't move because the Doctor didn't. River came storming back out. "Oi you 3, in here now!" She said pointing at the Doctor, Amy and Gaia. They all quickly made their way to the small office that had been set up.

"So what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked as the trio stepped into the small office type area.  
>"Weeping Angels? What's a weeping angel?" Amy asked.<br>"A deadly race, who move at the speed of light. They have the power to send you back in time and absorb the energy of your what if's. Yet if they are looked at by any living thing they turn to stone." Gaia answered. River and the Doctor nodded in agreement, Amy stood their mouth agape.  
>"Okay so not good." Amy uttered.<br>"Yep defiantly not good, bad, big bad." The Doctor said running his fingers through his hair.

"We've managed to get the CCTV footage of the brig of the ship where the angel was being held. I think you may want to have a look." River said picking up the remote off the desk and pressing play. The far wall of the office turned into a screen and played a loop of a 10 second clip of the angel.  
>"It's dormant." Gaia said eyebrows raised, she couldn't help but feel like she was at work. Watching CCTV in an office, figuring out what it wanted and why it was here. All that was missing was Ianto's coffee.<br>"Or waiting." The Doctor murmured, breaking Gaia's train of thought. The Doctor ran outside, River quickly followed.

Gaia and Amy remained within the office, feeling no need to go outside. Amy's eyes remained fixed on the screen whilst Gaia turned to face Amy. "Soooo... How long have you been travelling with the Doctor?" Gaia asked.  
>"Not that long. Although, I met him when I was 7, he crashed into my garden with... someone." Amy went quiet.<br>"Someone?" Gaia asked, she could see the memory of that evening when the Doctor crashed into young Amelia's garden, but parts were missing, blurry. Some thing or someone else had been there, but whom.

"...it's complicated." Amy finished. "Wait, did that thing move?" Amy said pointing at the angel on the screen. It had in fact moved forwards. Its hands were no longer over its eyes and it was closer to the camera.  
>"But that's impossible it's just a recording." Gaia said walking over and touching the screen. The clip looped again and the angel was right up to the screen, eyes wide, mouth agape. Gaia jumped back in shock.<br>"Okay this is seriously weird." Amy said watching Gaia, whilst Gaia kept her eyes on the angel.  
>"Amy, keep an eye on the angel I'm going to go over to the door and call the Doctor." Gaia said walking back towards the door.<p>

Half way across the office the bolt on the door locked, causing both girls to turn around. They both ran up to the door and started to bang on it. "Doctor!" Amy shouted drumming the door.  
>"River!" Gaia yelled as she banged on the door along with Amy.<p>

After a few seconds of banging Gaia's eyes opened wide in realisation. "Amy, who's looking at the angel?" She gulped. Their eyes crossed over room and back to the screen. They stopped abruptly at the sight of a half formed angel in the room. It had come out of the screen.

Gaia could hear the Doctor's sonic screwdriver on the other side of the door. "It's deadlocked, I can't get in." The Doctor announced. River argued that it was impossible and that the door didn't have a deadlock.  
>"Doctor what do we do?" Amy asked sternly, trying and failing to hide the fear in her voice. There was no reply.<br>"I don't know..." Came a response a little later. "Just don't look into the eyes. Keep your eyes on it but don't look into its eyes." The Doctor finished.

Gaia walked over to the desk where the remote sat, here eyes fixed on the angel. "What are you doing?" Amy whispered.  
>"Something clever... hopefully." Gaia responded. She picked up the remote and pointed it at the screen. When the loop came and the screen went blank Gaia paused the recording. The angel disappeared in that instant and the door unlocked.<p>

River and the Doctor came running in, the latter swooping up Gaia and pulling her into a bone crushing hug. "Okay... bit tight their Doctor." Gaia said her chest constricted by the Doctor's tight grip. The Doctor blushed and put Gaia down. Gaia couldn't help but notice the put on smile on his face.  
>"Are you 2 okay?" River asked. Amy and Gaia nodded. "Good. Very good." River said, her cryptic answers confusing just about everyone in the room.<p>

Then there was a bang from outside. "Doctor we're through." One of the clerics shouted.

Gaia dropped down the rope as she made it to the bottom of the drop. As soon as her feet touched the ground she could hear it. The painful sorrow of a mistreated planet and it was shouting, yelling to be looked after. It broke her hearts to hear a planet in such pain and anguish.

The Doctor walked over to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, handing her a tissue out of his pocket. She hadn't even noticed she was crying, but she didn't wipe the tears away.  
>"Can't you hear it?" She asked, so softly, so innocently, she sounded the age she looked.<br>"Hear what?"

Gaia raised her hand and put it on the side of his temple. She could see his expression shift when he heard what she could hear. "I'm so sorry." He said to no one in particular. Gaia wasn't sure if it was to her or the planet.

Father Octavian broke the moment. "Sir we need to get moving." He said, although not in his usual dominating tone, it was still said in a commanding manner. Gaia's hand dropped from the Doctor's temple and he couldn't hear the cries anymore, but he knew Gaia could.  
>"Yes Father in a minute. Come along Gaia." He said pulling Gaia close to him and walking onwards up the slope.<p>

Gaia thought it weird that the Doctor was behaving in such a manner. Although she had only met him a few times, she had known who he was most of her life. He played a big part in many events of the Earth's history, how could she not know him. But throughout all the time she had known him he had never been a touchy feely person. Especially after the time war, he had never allowed himself to get close to someone after that. An occasional hug here and there, but nothing like this. What had gotten into him?

Amy let out a yelp. Gaia turned her head to see that River was giving her an injection, probably some metabolism thing. Thank god she didn't need it. She was actually petrified of needles.

"Are we there yet?" Amy grumbled, she was joking of course. Well Gaia hoped she was joking.  
>"We're 4 levels up, 2 to go. The 6 levels represent the ascent of the soul. 6 was a very important number to the Aplans, with the 2 heads and 3 way marriages you have 6 people in relationships. It could get a bit messy." The Doctor rambled.<br>"I could imagine." Gaia said raising an eyebrow. "Seems Earth missed that memo though, several cultures believed 6 to be the number of the devil." Gaia said absent mindedly, for the first time since entering the maze she looked at the statues.  
>"And where did they get that notion then?" The Doctor asked, eyebrows raised and a trying to stop a grin spreading on his face. Gaia retorted by sticking out her tongue. She then turned back round to look at the statue. Her face drops in realisation.<p>

"Doctor, you said the Aplans have 2 heads right?" Gaia asked, nervously.  
>"Yep." The Doctor replied now fiddling with River's scanner.<br>"Then why do the statues only have one?" She asked; everyone looked up simultaneously.

"How could we have not..." River murmured keeping her eyes on as many statues as possible.  
>"Low level perception filter." The Doctor replied, taking out his sonic out of his pocket whilst still keeping his eyes on the angels. He scanned it up and down.<br>"Then how come Gaia didn't notice it?" Amy asked inquisitively. Gaia questioned how Amy knew about the fact that perception filters didn't work on her, she didn't say it aloud though.  
>"Because, Pond, she's got an upset planet's subconscious broadcasting in her mind. It's all `Flesh and Stone` and a low level perception filter could easily be missed with that going on." The Doctor said bring the sonic close to his eyes. "Okay defiantly angels. How far is it to the crash sight?" He asked, starting to back away towards River and the group who were slightly ahead, dragging Gaia with him.<br>"Not that far. We've just got to go through that alcove and we'd be right under the ship." River said pointing at the small hole in the wall. The torches started flashing.  
>"Okay on the count of 3 run towards the alcove. Try and keep an angel within your sight at all times. River take the lead. Okay?" The Doctor asked. Everyone nodded in response.<p>

"Good, 1..." People's feet started to scuff across the dry path. "2..." The soldiers tightened their grip on their guns, thinking of the 3 soldiers that had already been lost to the angels. "3!" Everyone ran in the direction of the alcove.

They made it through to an open area; several other passages led to the area, each of them slowly being filled with the deformed angels. "Doctor, they're coming!" Amy yelled.  
>"Yes I know, now shh... I'm thinking." The Doctor retorted. Gaia slapped him on the arm.<br>"No need to be rude!" She said. The Doctor looked up at her in shock. Gaia gave him `the look`.  
>"Yes right, sorry." He said then muttered something incoherent, the words women and slapping could be heard. He started to pace the open area, whilst the guards lined the passageways, the lights flickering at the angels got closer.<p>

"Now is really when you usually come up with a brilliant idea." River said, craning her head to face the Doctor, her gun aimed at the angels. The Doctor didn't respond. Gaia looked up at the underside of the ship. Making sure no one was looking at her; she grabbed a small stone and threw to up towards the ship. She smiled when she saw it stuck there. She then spied the floating gravity sphere.

"Okay, don't ask why but on my signal jump." Gaia said. The Doctor turned to face her, one eyebrow raised.  
>"What's the signal?" River asked, not doubting Gaia.<br>"Don't worry you won't miss it." Gaia said, she swung down and got the gun out of its holster from her leg. Then she swung her body around and shot at the sphere. It exploded and they all jumped.


	8. Flesh and Stone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**Thank you for the reviews, I'm glad you're liking it.**

"Up! Look up!" The Doctor said getting to his feet. He ran over to Gaia and helped her up. "Good idea by the way. Ingenious!" He continued. River meanwhile was helping Amy to her feet.  
>"You OK?" River asked.<br>"Fine but what happened?" Amy responded brushing herself down.  
>"We jumped." River stated, walking over to Gaia and the Doctor.<br>"Jumped where?" Amy asked confused.  
>"Up." Gaia said with a smile, watching the Doctor sonic the air.<br>"Where are we?" Amy asked still confused at the groups current location.  
>"Exactly where we were." River said.<br>"No we're not." Amy said putting her hands on her hips, annoyed that no one was explaining it to her.

"Move your feet!" The Doctor said, getting a deservingly whack on the arm from Gaia.  
>"No need to be rude." She said. The Doctor mumbled an apology and started to sonic the indentation in the floor. Amy looked around, confused at what she was looking for. "Doctor, what am I looking at? Explain." She demanded.<br>"Oh, come on, Amy, think! The ship crashed with the power still on, yeah? So what else is still on?" The Doctor said.  
>"The gravity." Gaia stated.<br>" Yep. The artificial gravity. One good jump," He jumped. "And up we fell. Gaia shot out the grav-globe to give us an updraft, and here we are!" The Doctor said giving Gaia a wink. She blushed a deep crimson. Octavian cleared his throat.

"Doctor. The statues, they look more like Angels now." Octavian said pointing his gun at the angles that were reaching up at the ship.  
>"They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, draining all the power from the ship, restoring themselves. Within an hour, they'll be an army!" The Doctor explained, crouching down and scanning the indentation again. The door then opened and the lights start to flicker.<br>"They're taking out the lights. Look at them, look at the Angels. Into the ship, now, quickly all of you!" The Doctor said then jumped into the hole. He landed on the floor, which happened to be at a 90 degree angle to hole.  
>"But how? Doctor!" Amy yelled peering over the edge of the hole. Her hair dangling over her face.<p>

Gaia pulled Amy out of the way and jumped down the hole after the Doctor.  
>"The gravity orientates to the floor. Now, in here, all of you, don't take your eyes off the Angels. Move, move, move!" The Doctor said, helping Gaia to her feet. Everyone jumps in and the Doctor sonics the door shut.<p>

"Ok, where are we?" The Doctor asks spinning round to observe the room that the group had now found themselves in.  
>"Secondary flight deck." River said, running over to the console at the centre of the room. Amy looked around at the flight deck; it was in major disrepair with exposed wires all over the console. The Doctor quickly followed River over to the console at the centre of the room.<p>

Octavian placed a small device on the door, the angels hammering heavily of the other side.  
>"Magnetized the door. Nothing could turn that wheel now." He said smugly.<br>"Yeah?" The Doctor retorted as the previously `magnetized` door, began to turn. Everyone stared at the door in shock.  
>"Dear God!" Octavian exclaimed, his grip tightening on his gun.<br>"Ah, now you're getting it!" Gaia said.  
>"Exactly...You've bought us time though, that's good. I am good with time." The Doctor added, he was currently messing with some of the controls on the desk. The soldiers made quick work of the other door, magnetizing it and buying them more time.<p>

"How long have we got Doctor?" Octavian asked his gun aimed at the door.  
>"5 minutes max." Gaia replied to Octavian, the Doctor looked up at her with raised eyebrows. Before he could say something Amy spoke.<br>"Nine." She muttered. The Doctor's head instantly whipped round, as did Gaia's and River's.  
>"Five." The Doctor enforced.<br>"Five, right yeah." Amy said, shaking it off.  
>"Why d'you say nine?" River asked, looking up from the handheld device she had in her hand.<br>"I didn't." Amy replied looking confused. Although sceptical they brushed it off.

"Okay, we need a way out." River said.  
>"Yes, ermm..." The Doctor said running his fingers through his hair. Gaia rolled her eyes.<br>"Oh come on, starship cruiser as big as this. Make port every few months, what's it going to need?" She asked.  
>"Oh you are brilliant!" River exclaimed.<br>"I am." Gaia admitted.  
>"What?" Amy said, asking the Doctor. The Doctor looked just as confused.<br>"Men!" River said with an eye roll.  
>"Tell me about it!" Gaia replied. They both laughed as they undid the clamps on the far wall.<p>

"What does every human being need?" Gaia asked, as the wall started to rise.  
>"Water?" Amy enquired.<br>"Almost, but no." Gaia replied.  
>"What then?" Amy asked.<br>"Of course!" The Doctor exclaimed, as the door opened halfway.  
>"What?" Amy repeated.<br>"Oxygen!" Gaia breathed as the forest came into view.  
>Amy was gobsmacked and her shocked muttered: "Eight."<br>"What did you say?" Gaia asked not catching what Amy said.  
>"Nothing." Amy replied confused at why Gaia had asked her that.<p>

"Right, there should be an escape route through there. Scan the architecture , we don't want to get lost in there." The Doctor said to Octavian.  
>"On it." He replied and proceeded to scan the environment.<br>"But tree's on a spaceship?" Amy said still not quite believing it.  
>"Oh more than trees..." Gaia said and then gently prised open one of the trees to reveal a bunch on glowing wires. "Treeborgs."<br>"Trees plus technology." The Doctor agreed and began to examine the wires. "Branches become cables, become sensors on the hull. A forest sucking in starlight, breathing out air. It even rains. There's a whole mini-climate. It is an eco-pod running through the heart of the ship. A forest in a bottle, on a space ship, in a maze. Have I impressed you yet?" The Doctor rambled and Amy chuckled at his rambling.  
>"Seven." She muttered.<p>

"Seven?" Gaia questioned.  
>"What?" Amy asked.<br>"You said seven." The Doctor added now studying Amy's face.  
>"No I didn't." Amy responded.<br>"Yes you did." River argued and a silence fell over them as each of them contemplated the situation they now found themselves in.

"Doctor! There's an exit, far end of the ship, into the Primary Flight Deck." Octavian said breaking the silence.  
>"Good that's where we need to go." The Doctor replied.<br>"As quickly as possible." Gaia added for good measure. Octavian nodded in reply and got to work mapping out a route on his device.

"Until then..." The Doctor began and then sat down on one of the chairs in the room; he has his arm around Gaia's waist so as he falls he pulls Gaia down with him. She squeals in shock as she lands on top of him.  
>"Not funny." She retorts whacking the Doctor's arm from around her waist. Everyone laughed at the pair, even Octavian managed to crack a smile.<br>"Six." Amy muttered again and everyone froze. "What?" She asked, wondering why everyone had just stopped.  
>"Amy you just said six." Gaia replied, now sitting on the Doctor's lap totally oblivious to his arm still around her waist.<br>"No I didn't."  
>"Yes you did. You've been doing it for a while, counting down. But counting down to what?" The Doctor asked himself.<br>"What are you talking about? Doctor, I'm five." Amy stuttered. "I'm five... I'm fine." She finished but with not as much conviction as the beginning of her sentence. The Doctor just raised his eyebrows. Before anyone else can say anything an awful screeching sound fills the ship and causes everyone to cover their ears.

"What's that?" River yelled.  
>"No idea, but I've missed something. What have I missed?" The Doctor asked himself standing up and spinning on the spot. He stopped in the direction of the door. "Oh."<br>"That's... that's like the crack from my bedroom wall from when I was a little girl." Amy said terrified.  
>"What crack?" Gaia asked but before she can see it the Doctor puts his hand over her eyes.<br>"No, you can't see it." He said.  
>"Why not?" The Doctor's silent for a bit as he contemplates on what word to us and, with an eye roll, gives in to the inevitable.<br>"Spoilers." The Doctor said and can hear River chuckle behind him. "Just keep your eye closed, I'm going to remove my hand." The Doctor said softly and removed his hand from Gaia's face.

"Ok, enough, we're moving out!" Octavian ordered and the few remaining clerics piled out into the forest.  
>"Agreed, Doctor?" River called.<br>"Yeah, fine. I'll be right with you." The Doctor replied and climbed onto a few boxes and started to scan the crack with his screwdriver. He heard River mutter a few words under her breath and he cracked a smile.  
>"Come on." River said to the 2 other women. She grabbed Gaia's hand and led her into the forest with the clerics, Amy not far behind.<p>

Walking through the forest, Amy's pace sudden slowed and she started to sway a little. "Amy, what's wrong?" River asked. Amy was getting paler by the second and she slowly made her way to the floor, curling up on a rock.  
>"Four." She muttered.<br>"Med-scanner!" River asked one of the clerics and they oblige.  
>"Dr Song, we can't stay here, we've got to keep moving." Octavian urged.<br>"We wait for the Doctor." Gaia retorted for River, she was sitting cross legged on the floor her eyes still closed. "Can I open my eyes yet?" She asked; she gets ignored.

"Our mission is to make the wreckage safe and neutralise the Angels. Until that is achieved..." Octavian began but River quickly cut him off.  
>"Father Octavian, when the Doctor is in the room, your only mission is to keep him alive long enough to get everyone else home. And trust me. It's not easy. Now, if he's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself, and if he's alive, I'll never forgive him. And, Doctor, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?" River said smiling looking up from the med-scanner.<br>"Yep!" The Doctor said cheerfully, bounding past River to look at Amy.  
>"I hate you." River retorts at exactly the same time Gaia asked: "Can I open my eyes?" The Doctor replied swiftly to both questions.<br>"No you don't and no you can't." He then turned to Octavian. "Angels in the forest Bishop." He reports and Octavian quickly got his clerics into position.

"So what's wrong with me?" Amy asked softly.  
>"Nothing, you're fine." River tried to reassure her, the Doctor cuts that method down.<br>"Everything, you're dying." He said and Gaia sucked in a breath. If Amy dies here then River's never born...  
>"Doctor!" River argued.<br>"Yes, you're right, if we lie to her, she'll get all better! Right." The Doctor responds, now going into deep thought.

"Three." Amy said all energy drained.  
>"The image of an angel is an angel..." Gaia pondered. It then clicks for the Doctor.<br>"Amy close your eyes." He said.  
>"No I don't want to." She replies.<br>"Good, because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you, it's afraid! Do it! Close your eyes!" The Doctor urged. Amy hesitates but finally closed her eyes and everyone lets out a sigh in relief as River states that she was normalising. The Doctor told Amy that she had to keep her eyes closed.

Gaia rather lost track of the conversation from then and the next thing she knew, the Doctor, River and Octavian had run off to the Primary Flight Deck to ensure a way through leaving them both behind with their eyes still closed. Gaia had heard the Doctor leave, but another man come walking over from a different direction and stopped in front of the girls. "Amy. You need to start trusting me, it's never been more important." The man said, it turned out to be the Doctor, much to Gaia's surprise.  
>"But you don't always tell me the truth." Amy retorted.<br>"If I always told you the truth, I wouldn't need you to trust me."  
>"Doctor, the crack in my wall, how can it be here?"<br>"I don't know yet, but I'm working it out." Gaia could hear the whine of the sonic screwdriver, but it was too far away to be from the Doctor in front of them. "Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?"  
>"What did you tell me?" Amy asked but the Doctor doesn't reply; he's now crouched in front of Gaia.<br>"I know it's a bit early for you, but I don't care." The Doctor began. "I love you, always will and always have." Then before Gaia can reply he's kissing her. It amazing, his soft lips on hers is something Gaia can't even begin to describe. He tastes of cinnamon and honey and Gaia could quite easily have his lips stuck to hers permanently. But in a matter of seconds it's over and he's run off, leaving Gaia breathless.  
>"Okay..." She breathed.<p>

"Doctor?" Amy called but got no reply.  
>"He's gone." Gaia said softly to Amy. Amy nods.<br>"Gaia... ermm, how come you don't, y'know, remember the Doctor?" Amy asked tentatively.  
>"I don't get what you mean."<br>"Well, I mean, like, recently. You didn't seem to recognise me in the Tardis."  
>"Well that's because I've just met you, theoretically."<br>"Theoretically? Never mind, what do you mean only just met me? You've known me since I was 7 and..." Gaia cut Amy off.  
>"I may do, but not now. I'm probably a little younger than the Gaia you've met. It's all timey-whimey."<br>"Timey-whimey. You sound like the Doctor." Gaia laughed at Amy's comment. "So, you're actually a few years younger than the Gaia I've already met?" Amy confirms.  
>"Yep."<br>"He's still full of surprises." Amy sighed and Gaia agreed.

Roughly an hour later after this conversation Gaia, the Doctor, Amy and River are stood on the beach where they arrived. They Angels had been vanquished and Gaia and Amy have been allowed to open their eyes. Currently, hovering a mile above the planet's surface is a prison ship, ready to take River away.

"You, me... handcuffs. Must it always end this way?" River joked.  
>"What now?" The Doctor asked.<br>"The prison ship's in orbit. They'll beam me up any second. I might have done enough to earn a pardon this time. We'll see."  
>"Octavian said you killed a man."<br>"Yes. I did. A good man. A very good man. The best man I've ever known."  
>"Who?"<br>"It's a long story, Doctor, can't be told. It has to be lived. No sneak previews. Well, except for this one: you'll see me again quite soon, when the Pandorica opens."  
>"The Pandorica, ha! That's a fairy tale."<br>"Oh, Doctor, aren't we all? I'll see you there." River joked; she then turned to Gaia, who in turn stepped forward.  
>"By sweetie, enjoy `Utopia`." River said and before Gaia could respond, leant in and kissed her.<p>

This shocked Gaia as much as the Doctor's kiss had. River's kiss is fierce and passionate unlike the Doctor's which had been soft and smooth; River tastes of cherries and bubblegum and Gaia's tempted to open her lips and gain access to more of these delicious flavours. She hadn't had a kiss like this since her husband back on Starnet and she can't help but admit she could get use to being kissed by both the Doctor and River.

The shocked gasps of Amy and the Doctor brought her back to reality as River broke the kiss. But before Gaia could say or do anything in response, River pressed a button on Gaia's exposed Vortex manipulator, causing her to disappear in a crack of light.

Gaia landed rather unceremoniously on a grating floor, cheeks still flush and the taste of cherries still on her lips. "Oh she's good." Gaia said with a smile and slowly got to her feet. She was in the Tardis judging by the walls, the 10th Doctor's Tardis.  
>"Gaia?" A voice called and Gaia whirled around to find Martha Jones staring at her jaw on the floor.<br>"Oh, hello." Gaia replied, taking an experimental step forward. Satisfied that she wasn't going to fall over, she walked over Martha.  
>"But... how did you get in here?" Martha asked shocked.<br>"Vortex Manipulator, nasty rides." Gaia replied.

"I can imagine." A voice called from the other side of the rotor. The 10th Doctor peered around it. "Oh hello by the way!" He said with a grin. Gaia rolled her eyes.  
>"Hello." Gaia replied. "If I might ask, where are we?"<br>"You don't know where you are?"  
>"Well I got rather ermm... distracted and someone put the coordinates in and sent me on my way."<br>"Must have been some hell of a distraction." Gaia smiled, he lips till tingling from River's kiss. Kissed twice on the same day, by 2 people from her own personal future... interesting.

Before Gaia could retort to the Doctor though there was an almighty crash on the side of the Tardis sending them flying into the vortex.  
>"What was that?" Martha yelled, holding on to the railings for dear life.<br>"I dunno." The Doctor replied. "We're rocketing through, 100 million, 100 billion..." The Doctor yells but his voice is drowned out by the sound of the Tardis. With an almighty crash they land and the Doctor's instantly on his feet. "Year 100 trillion," he mutters. "End of the universe."


	9. Utopia

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

"Well, we've landed." The Doctor said, reading the Tardis monitor. His shoulders are tense as he read the Gallifraen symbols on the screen and he can't help but feel that he should run away.  
>"So what's out there?" Martha asked, now also on her feet from the Tardis' rather bumpy ride.<br>"I don't know." The Doctor admits he then turns to Gaia who shrugs at his gaze.  
>"Say that again. That's rare." Martha joked.<br>"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should really, really... go." The Doctor grinned at the pair then bounded for the door, grabbing his trench coat along the way. Gaia and Martha quickly followed.

The landscape before them is pretty bleak and quiet... to quiet. Gaia, who use to having an entire planet in her head, found the silence horrid, not even the planet beneath their feet sung its song. Every planet Gaia had stepped onto albeit with Jack or the Doctor, she'd been able to hear the planets distinctive and individual song, but this planet, this barren wasteland, had given up. Before Gaia could voice these thoughts to the Doctor, Martha came out of the Tardis behind her and gasped in shock. Completely unnoticed by Gaia, a certain Captain Jack lay a few meters away motionless and un-breathing.

"Oh my God!" Martha gasped and ran over to Jack; she instantly tried to find a pulse. She's couldn't find one. "Hold on, you've got that medical kit thing." Martha continued and ran back into the Tardis. Gaia couldn't help but giggle after Martha had left. After everything she'd been through in the last few hours a little innocent fun messing with Martha wouldn't do any harm.

Grabbing the Doctor's hand, Gaia walked over to the `dead` Jack. "Hello again. I'm so sorry." The Doctor said quietly.  
>While Gaia muttered: "I'm going to be in so much trouble." Before either could question the other on what they said Martha came running out of the Tardis.<br>"Here we go." Martha said and crouched down to Jack's side. "It's a bit odd though. Not very 100 trillion, that coat's more like World War II."  
>"I think he came with us." The Doctor answered.<br>"How d'you mean? From Earth?"  
>"Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex."<br>"Trust him." Gaia added with an eye-roll for good measure.

"What you know him?" Martha asked shocked.  
>"Friend of mine. Used to travel with me. Back in the old days." The Doctor replied, not realising the question wasn't directed at him.<br>"But he's, I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead." Martha admits and Jack being Jack, with his impeccable timing as always, chose that moment to wake up. Gaia took a step back hiding slightly behind the Doctor; he raised his eyebrows at the gesture.

"Oh well, so much for me. It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you now." Martha said slightly shocked.  
>"Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?" Gaia rolled her eyes, back from the dead seconds and he's already flirting.<br>"Martha Jones."  
>"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones." The Doctor had just about enough.<br>"Oh, don't start!" He whined and Jack looks up at him  
>"I was just saying hello." He replied innocently, Gaia had to refrain from snorting in laughter.<br>"I don't mind." Martha admitted and then helped Jack get to his feet.

"Doctor." Jack said coldly.  
>"Captain." The Doctor return.<br>"Good to see..." But Jack stopped half sentence having seen Gaia cowering behind the Doctor. "Gaia?" He questioned. Gaia took a step forward. Jack's eyes lit up and before anyone can say anything he's swooped Gaia up in a bone crushing hug.  
>"Hey Jack." She manages she mutter, her lungs currently being squashed by Jack's fierce hug.<p>

"So there I was, stranded in the 200,100, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had this. I used to be a Time agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel." Jack explained to Martha, they were now walking across the barren wasteland, the Doctor in front of them and Gaia at his side. Their hands are held tightly together, with Jack not wanting to let her go. After her mysterious disappearance from Torchwood Jack had thought she'd been taken by someone or thing. Relieved didn't cover how he felt knowing that she was fine.  
>"Oh excuse me. That is not time travel. It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper." The Doctor retorted to Jacks previous comment. Gaia and Martha replied simultaneously, with the former shouting "Oi" and the latter laughing chortling "Boys and their toys."<p>

"Alright so I bounced. I thought 21st Century, best place to the Doctor, except I got it a little wrong. I arrived in 1869 and this burnt out so it was useless." Jack admitted.  
>"Told you." The Doctor retorted.<br>"I had to live through the entire 20th century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."  
>"But that makes you more than 100 years old." Martha stated.<br>"And looking good, doncha think? So I went to the time rift, based myself there, 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until I finally get a signal on this detecting you and here we are." Jack said then hesitated for a second before turning to Gaia. "Question I want to know is where have you been for the last fortnight?"  
>"Fortnight? I was gone that long?" Gaia replied shocked that River had sent her back that late.<br>"Yeah, you were. I got your response, what does complicated mean?" The Doctor had now slowed a little to hear this conversation, Martha was also listening intently.  
>"Its means... well, complicated. I honestly didn't mean to be gone for so long."<br>"Okay, that I believe. But where were you?"  
>"Erm... I was with him." Gaia admitted nodding her head at the Doctor. The Doctor stopped in his tracks confused.<br>"Wait, what?" He said confused.  
>"Not you you, an older you, although he looked younger which is really confusing." Gaia admitted, her thoughts drifting back to what the 11th Doctor had said to her in the forest. <em>"I love you, always will and always have."<em> She couldn't help but wonder if this Doctor felt the same.

"Okay, Doctor I'm completely confused." Martha said.  
>"Well it's quite simple really. Gaia's been with me, an older me. I have a future, that's nice." He said and started to walk off again. He then stopped abruptly a few paces away. "That's not so nice."<p>

All thoughts of the previous conversation are pushed aside in the 4 time travellers heads as the sight before them shocks them to the core, none more so than Gaia. She couldn't stop the tear that rolled down her cheek. In front of them laid a large canyon, the walls had been cut a shaped into pathways and roads, but all that remained now were ruins.

"Is that a city?" Martha asked hesitantly, the awe of the alien world in front of her catching in her throat.  
>"A city or a hive, or a nest, or a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown. But look there. That's like pathways, roads... Must have been some sort of life. Long ago." The Doctor said solemnly.<p>

Gaia was now standing by his side and he could see the glistening layer of tears on her cheeks, he had always hated to see her cry. So without a second thought he put his arm out and pulled her next to him, allowing her to rest on his shoulder. Once Gaia was comfortable on his shoulder the Doctor was shocked by his own reactions, he hadn't been comfortable to hold anyone like this for... well a long time. He may have loved Rose but they were never close physically, the closeted they got was the occasional hug or holding hands but he did those things with Martha. Why was he so comfortable like this with Gaia? And to that question he couldn't give an answer. Yet.

Gaia didn't question the Doctor's action, after the closeness of the 11th Doctor it wasn't surprising, and she found great comfort in hearing his double heart beat vibrate though his body. She had tuned out the conversation of the other almost completely, her eyes had glazed over and all she focused on was the soothing drum beat of the Doctor's twin hearts. Her tense body slowly seemed to relax.

Neither of the pair saw the bubbles of jealousy that formed on Martha's expression, but like a bubble it popped in almost an instant, Martha's calm face replacing the jealousy. This bubble though didn't go unnoticed by the good Captain though.

"What killed it?" Martha asked, her tone not displaying any of the underlying envy she felt for Gaia.  
>"Time. Just time. Everything's dying now. All the great civilizations have gone. This isn't just night. All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing." The Doctor replied softly, feeling surprisingly relaxed with Gaia at his side.<br>"What about the people? Does no one survive?"  
>"I suppose we have to hope. Life will find a way." The Doctor answered rubbing circles with his thumb on Gaia's arm. She had stopped crying now the sound of the heavy footsteps vibrating through the Doctor from the ground catching her attention. She looked up at the same time Jack pointed out the running man.<br>"Well he's not doing to bad."

The Doctor noticed the man Jack had pointed out and started to run towards him, pulling Gaia along for the ride. "Is it me, or does that look like a hunt? Come on!" He shouted to the other 2. As they ran down the hill towards the clearly terrified man, Gaia can hear Jack whooping behind her, shouting: "Oh, I've missed this!"

In the middle of the wide gorge they met up with the running man, Jack grabbed a hold of him. "I've got you." He reassured the man, the man didn't seem to listen.  
>"We've gotta run! They're coming! They're coming!" He urged as a group of what seemed like tribal men rounded the corner.<br>"What in the hell are they?" Martha shouted terrified of the men in front of her, whom all seem to have pointed teeth and strange markings on their skin.  
>"There's more of them. We've got to keep going." The man urged. The Doctor tried to calm him down.<br>"I've got a ship nearby. It's safe. It's not far; it's just over that..." He turned around to point in the direction they'd just ran from to see a line of `tribal men` come running over the peak of the hill. "Or maybe not."  
>"We're close to the silo. If we get to the silo, then we're safe."<br>"Silo?" The Doctor asked the others.  
>"Silo." Everyone agreed.<p>

The group ran as fast as they could, following the man up to, what seemed like, a military compound. "It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" The man yelled at the guards stationed there. Now right up against the fencing the guards asked to see their teeth, satisfied that they were human the guards let them in. After a semi-stand off with the guards, the Futurekind backed away and a soldier led the group into the silo.

"Thanks for that." The Doctor said his hand still firmly in Gaia's.  
>"Right lets get you inside." The guards said leading them through several doors.<br>"My name is Padrefet Shafekane. Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?" Padra asked the guard.  
>"Oh yes sir. Yes I can." The guards replied with a smile.<p>

"It's a box, a big blue box. I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there." The Doctor asked one of the Guards. They were now deep within the base known as the silo and were shocked to find 100's of other humans inhabiting the corridors. Talking to another guard Padra asked if his family had made it. A young boy named Creet came to his aid.

"A blue box, you said." The guard confirmed with the Doctor.  
>"Big, tall, wooden. Says `Police`." The Doctor agreed.<br>"We're driving out for a last water collection. I'll see what I can do." The guard replied.  
>"Thank you." They were then led by Creet down corridor after corridor looking for Padra's family. Thankfully they found them and the family was happily reunited.<p>

As this family reunion took place the Doctor and Jack took the liberty of opening one of the many locked doors down the corridor. After some tampering with, the door slid open revealing a large ship almost ready to take off. Surprised that the refugees lining the corridors were in fact passengers, the Doctor didn't notice the elderly, well dressed, man run towards the group.

The elder man, Professor Yana, stopped right in front of the group and started to point between them. He finger stopped at Jack. "The Doctor?" He asked.  
>"That's me." The Doctor replied. Yana turned around smiling and grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him down the corridor, chanting "Good" very happily.<br>"It's good apparently." The Doctor called back to the others, a smile also on his face. Jack and Martha followed the Doctor and Gaia as they were pulled into a small room that was filled to the brim with machinery.

"Chan, welcome, tho." A blue woman said as the group entered the room. Gaia let go of the Doctor's hand as he was led by the Professor over to some of the machinery. "This is the gravitissimal accelerator. Its part of the..." Yana said but Gaia's attention was drawn to the blue woman in the corner.  
>"Hello. Who are you?" Gaia asked politely.<br>"Chan, Chantho, tho." Chantho replied.

"We can't get it to harmonise!" Yana said to the Doctor, everyone's voices seemed to get jumbled up in the small room.

"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack said, introducing himself to Chantho.  
>"Stop it." The Doctor called over his shoulder.<br>"Can't I say hell to anyone?"  
>"Chan, I do not protest, tho." Chantho added.<br>"Maybe later blue." Jack replied with a wink. "So what have we got here?"

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" The Doctor said, now talking to Yana.  
>"Yeah, except without a stable footprint we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonise the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?" Yana asked.<br>"Well, um basically... sort of... not a clue." He looked to Gaia for help, she grinned.  
>"Nothing?" Yana said dejectedly.<br>"I'm not from around these parts. I've never seen a system like it." The Doctor began still facing Gaia, who was now examining some of the equipment. "Sorry." He finished now facing Yana.  
>"No, no. I'm sorry. It's my..." Yana began but before he could finish Gaia interrupted them.<br>"Oh, you're brilliant." She said happily, a smile now stretched across her face. Everyone turned to her in shock, Yana raised his eyebrows. "You bound the neutralino map using gluten extract. You've built this entire thing from nothing more than food, string and a couple of staples." Gaia continued looking at the circuit board at the centre of the room. "It's ingenious; I don't say that to a lot of people. Especially humans, love you to pieces and all, but this... Doctor you've been out done, tenfold." Gaia joked and the Doctor pouted.

"So you understand it?" Martha asked shocked that someone had out smarted the Timelord.  
>"The basics anyway." Gaia replied and walked up to the Doctor and dove her hand into his jacket pocket. "Borrowing something." She said with a cheeky smile at the Doctor's obvious discomfort and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.<br>"Now Professor Yana. Most of this stuff is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit must be a circuit which reverses the boost." Gaia began, Yana nodded and the Doctor caught on to her train of thought. "So I wonder, what would happen if I did this?" Gaia said happily and soniced one of the appliances. With a few sparks and a surge of electricity the machinery burst into life.

Then everything really kicked off. The Doctor took control along with Yana and started to prepare, the now working, machinery for the rockets flight. During this period Gaia remained very out of action, her sudden burst early had tired her out. She guessed being this far away from her own planet, so long after its death, her energy levels must've been lower than usual and hence she was exhausted now. Not to mention the fact that she had only a few hours ago been climbing out of the Byzantium with the 11th Doctor, it was no wonder she was tired.

Sitting on the couch in the small room, it allowed her to think. She had crossed her own timeline in being at the Byzantium with River and the 11th Doctor and she was sure there were several rules about that kind of thing. Not to mention the kissing! She was so confused! In the future she decided to travel with the Doctor, as a couple with Amy after meeting her when she was 7. That was weird to think about in itself, but then with the whole River thing...  
>But the biggest problem was, no matter how much Gaia tried to deny it, kissing them both hadn't felt wrong. She hadn't felt guilty about the Doctor declaring his love for her, then she getting kissed by River. And the scariest thing about it was it felt right, natural even. A relationship like that, with 2 Timelords, well Human plus and Timelord, shouldn't be natural for a Planet Keeper. A Planet-keepers nature was to find a mate when a new planet or moon was formed of the same species. So why did this relationship still feel as natural and right, as with her husband before?<p>

Gaia was knocked out of her thoughts by the Doctor, the 10th Doctor, approaching her. "You alright?" The Doctor asked softly.  
>"It's so quiet." Gaia muttered, she couldn't tell him what she was really thinking about, she hadn't told anyone of her past and wasn't planning too in the near future, so she changed the topic.<p>

The Doctor's face softened at Gaia's innocent response. "I know." He said and kissed her head. "The Tardis is right over there, she'll help. Just sit in there for bit and you'll feel fine." The Doctor said, helping her up and over to the Tardis. Gaia hadn't noticed that they'd brought it in, never mind retrieved it from the Futurekind.

Gaia entered the Tardis and sat herself down on the jump seat. In her mind she could hear the gentle song of the Tardis and through her, as an entity that existed through all time and space; she heard the Earth's song. It had been a distant lullaby to her when she was a child and it still served the same purpose today as it did 2 millennia ago; it soothed her and eventually led her to sleep.

In the her mind Gaia's dreams were a mish-mash of colour and sound, never really settling on one image, memory or fantasy long enough for any outsider to make any sense of it. But to Gaia it made perfect sense.

_She was currently sitting on the floor of the Tardis, the 11th Doctor's Tardis, with an infant boy in front of her. He was playing with a set of building bricks; his small uncoordinated hands trying to fit the pieces together had Gaia giggling. With a pout the infant boy looked up to her. "Doesn't fit Mummy." The boy moaned. Gaia chuckled at him.  
>"I'm sure it does sweetie." She replied, ruffling his curly brown hair. His eyes focused on concentration at the bricks, the gold flecks in his bright green eyes reflecting off the console light.<br>"Mummy!" Another voice called behind her and Gaia turned to see another child a little older than the boy come bouncing down the stairs on her bum. As she bounced down each step she had to stop to brush her blonde curly hair out of her eyes. Once the girl had reached the bottom step she crawled over to Gaia and sat herself in Gaia's lap. "Shh..." The little girl said and then she covered her eyes with her hands and curled up in a ball on Gaia's lap. Several seconds later the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor.  
>"Ready or not here I come." The voice said, now at the top of the stairs. Gaia looked up to see the 11th Doctor standing there a mischievous grin on his face. "I wonder where she's gone!" He said playfully, pretending to search around the console for the little girl. Gaia could feel the little girl vibrate with giggles, then no longer able to hold it in the girl opened her arms and yelled: "Here I am!" This caused the Doctor to pick her up and swing her around, much to the little girl's excitement, as she screamed and giggled at the top of her lungs. Once worn out the Doctor rested the girl on his hip and sat down next to Gaia. He leaned in to give Gaia a kiss but just before their lips touch Gaia woke up and the dream faded.<em>

The next thing she heard in the conscious world was the groan of the Tardis as someone other than her designated pilot tried to control her. With no time to question the dream she'd just had, Gaia opened her eyes shocked to see Professor Yana standing there, pressing buttons on the console as the Doctor hammered at the door. "Just let me in!" The Doctor yelled, but Yana ignored him and ranted. Gaia chose to remain quiet, he hadn't realise she was there yet and she'd like to keep it that way for a bit.  
>"Killed by an insect! A girl! How inappropriate. Still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master... reborn." He said. Before Gaia could comment the Master burst into a ball of golden light, his regeneration taking hold.<p>

Gaia blocked her eyes as the golden Atron energy filled the control room and she heard the Master let out a scream. But as quickly as it began the golden light receded, leaving a very young man in Yana's place. With a manic glee he skipped about the console, still not realising Gaia is there, but he stopped at the microphone and openly gloats to the Doctor. "Doctor... ohh, new voice. Hello, hello, hello. Anyway, why..." But the Master stopped as he caught sight of Gaia trying to make a dash for the doors. "No, no, no." He said and caught Gaia around the waist with one arm, restraining her from reaching the door.  
>"Get off." Gaia struggled, but it was futile. The Master was just too strong. He dragged her back to the console and the Master resumed talking to the Doctor.<p>

"Planet-keeper 'ey, you've gone up in the universe Doctor. Although I'm not sure what's she doing with you to be honest? Someone as... delicate and powerful as her, hanging about with you? Now that is a mystery." The Master said eyeing Gaia.  
>"Don't you dare hurt her!" The Doctor yelled from outside.<br>"Ooh, protective. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a little chat while I tell you all my plan and you can work out a way to stop me? I don't think!" The Master gloated raking his eyes over the squirming Gaia in his arm.  
>"Let her go! I'm asking you really properly! Just stop! Just think!" The Doctor said from outside, his voice being picked up by the exterior microphone and bounced around the interior of the Tardis.<br>"Use my name." The Master replied, his voice deep and feral.  
>"Master. I'm sorry."<br>"Tough!" The Master said his voice now full of a maniacal glee. Still with one hand around Gaia, stopping her from running, the Master proceeded in piloting the Tardis.  
>"Stop, please, just stop." Gaia begged but was ignored. The console seemed to spark as the Doctor outside used his sonic screwdriver on the Tardis.<br>"Oh, no you don't!" The Master grumbled and got the Tardis column moving again. "End of the Universe. Have fun. Bye, Bye!" He continued as the Tardis dematerialised, leaving the Doctor, Martha and Jack behind. "Now it begins, to the 'Sound of Drums`."


	10. The Sound Of Drums

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N:Thank you for all the reviews, it means a lot! :) **

Gaia fiddled with her dress. Since being held captive by the Master, now under the persona of Harold Saxon, she had been forced to wear a perception filter everywhere they went, it not only gave anyone looking at her the perception that she was Lucy Saxon, Harold Saxon's wife, but also it stop any telepathic communications she had. So alike to the silence she had heard at the end of the universe, she now had to live with it day in and day out.

She was currently in the car the Master sitting opposite her. He had just been voted as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain and they were currently on their way to number 10 Downing Street.

Over the last 18 months the Master had done things that made Gaia's heartbreak. He had been Harold Saxon all along, the man who had launched the Archangel network, the one who Gaia couldn't find a picture of in her research back at Torchwood. He had hypnotised the entire populace into voting for him, by integrating a 4 beat pattern into their subconsciouses. This is what had given Gaia her frequent headaches at Torchwood; looking back on it Gaia couldn't help but be annoyed that she hadn't looked into it more closely back at Torchwood when she had the chance.

"Smile, it's not like it the end of the world... yet!" The Master said to Gaia. Gaia's expression remain passive, she had learnt that giving the Master a reaction was exactly what he wanted, to remain blasé to his snide comments and the product could be quite comical. "Nothing, no." The Master continued. "Your darling husband has just become Prime Minister of Great Britain and you have nothing to say?" Gaia remained silent. "You're no fun."

They quickly arrived at Downing Street and the Master, forever the gentlemen, allowed Gaia to exit the vehicle first. She did so and waited. She knew it was fruitless to run, the Master had no doubt installed a tracking device in her perception filter and now in charge of the country he'd have no problems in finding her. So Gaia remained put and continued the Master's charade as he guided her into the house, the world's media gathered around the door. All she could do was hope that the Doctor would find a way to stop him before it was too late.

"Mr Saxon, this way, sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir." A Reporter yelled as the Master directed Gaia to the house, but the Master, being the melodramatic man he was, couldn't resist a little camera time. So he whirled around to face the camera's a planted a kiss on Gaia's lips. Unlike the previous kiss with the 11th Doctor and River, Gaia felt nothing from his lips on hers. In every possible way it felt wrong, morally, consciously and biologically. The taste of him on her lips caused her body's natural reaction to vomit to rise in her throat, and although she wasn't currently looking herself, she still didn't want to vomit in public, so she rather disgustingly swallowed the vomit down.

The Master satisfied that he had upholded his image of madrigal status to the world, turned to face the camera's once more. With his arm wrapped tightly around Gaia's waist his made his speech to the world. "This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, what this country need, right now... is a doctor." Gaia could feel the bile returning.

Walking down the hall of Downing Street, Gaia was almost tempted to laugh at the amount of files and paperwork the Master was handed by separate members of staff. Unfortunately the Master noticed. "Is that a smile?" He asked childishly. Gaia didn't reply. Thankfully this was when Tish decided to make herself known.  
>"Uh, sir... If you don't mind me asking... I'm sorry, but it's all a bit new. What exactly do you want me to do?" Martha's sister asked.<br>"Oh yes, what was it, uh...?"  
>"Tish. Letitia Jones."<br>"Tish. Well then, Tish... You just stand there and look gorgeous." He said and then walked into the cabinet room.

Gaia was furious with him. After being directed to the bathroom she rinsed out her mouth, trying to take the taste of that vile man out of her mouth. Thankfully these were private bathrooms, so she wasn't destined to be interrupted. 18 months she had been forced to follow him around like some puppy, he had forced her to become Lucy Saxon and this, in the bathroom of all places, was the furthest he'd let her venture from him. On Utopia, she had nearly killed him. What he did to those people... and they were human as well. She could feel her eyes well up.

"Snap out of it." Gaia said to herself, she couldn't afford to get emotional now. She just had to play the Master's puppy a bit longer until the Doctor got here and then everything would be alright. He'd save the day, he had too. Otherwise they'd be no 11 or River, so he had come... eventually.

Collecting herself Gaia walked into the other room that had been set aside for her. She sat herself down on the red sofa that was in the centre of the room and tried to relax. The peace and quiet lasted of about 2 minutes as a blonde lady and Tish stumbled into the room. "Mrs Saxon, Vivien Rook, Sunday Mirror. You've heard of me." Vivien, the blonde said.  
>"Oh, can't I just have an hour to myself? It's been a hell of a day." Gaia said, almost pleadingly.<br>"Oh, strike while the iron's hot, that's what I say, Lucy. I can call you Lucy, can't I? Now, everyone's talking about Harold Saxon, but I thought "What about the wife"? All I need is twenty minutes." Vivien continued. Gaia was intrigued by this, a reporter. If she could get a message out, to the Doctor or even Torchwood this ordeal may be over a lot quicker.  
>"Oh, well, I suppose... Oh, go on then. Twenty minutes." Gaia agreed.<br>"Excellent! Thank you! Oh, oh, what was it? Oh Tish. Now you can leave us alone." Tish insisted that she had to stay in, but Vivien proceeded in kicking her out nonetheless and Gaia wasn't inclined to argue, if the Master caught them she didn't want Martha's sister getting hurt.

Once Tish was out the room Vivien turned to face Gaia. "Mrs Saxon, I have reason to believe... that you're in very great danger. All of us, in fact. Not just the country, but the whole world. I beg you hear me out." Vivien pleaded. Gaia was currently mentally debating the way she should go about this. Should she out rightly say it or beat around the bush a little? The latter option had less risks of it being caught, but would require a great deal of thought on her part. With very few options she chose the latter.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned Vivien.  
>"Your husband is not who he says he it. I'm sorry bit it's a lie. Everything's a lie." Vivien implored. "All of it. The school days, his degree, even his mother and father. It's all invented. Look, Harold Saxon never went to Cambridge. There was no Harold Saxon. The thing is, it's obvious. The forgery is screaming out and yet no one can see it. It's as if he's mesmerized the entire world." Vivien continued.<br>"But don't you see, Mrs Rook. He's trying to change the country. Send us to a Utopia." Gaia said slowly, but Vivien wasn't listening.  
>"18 months ago he became real. This is the first, honest-to God appearance, just after the downfall of Harriet Jones. And at exactly the same time, they launched the Archangel Network."<br>"He's trying to help us Master are problems, by changing the way we perceive things. Helping us use things that are right before are eyes, like nature." Gaia continued, but she wasn't starting to think this attempt would end up futile. She was proven correct.

"Lucy," a voice called from the door. Gaia winced. "I didn't realise you were allowing reporters in." Vivien turned around and her fears were proven correct, `Harold Saxon` stood at the door.  
>"Mr Saxon. Prime Minister, I-I-I was just having a little joke with poor little Lucy. I-I didn't mean..." Vivien stuttered terrified.<br>"Oh, but you're absolutely right. Harold Saxon doesn't exist; neither does Lucy Saxon for that matter. Isn't that right?" The Master said and Gaia screamed falling to the floor. Her mind seared as the Master lashed out in a telepathic attack.  
>"Stop it, please, just stop." Gaia pleaded. The Master laughed at her pleading.<br>"Who are you?" Vivien asked terrified.  
>"I am the Master and these are my friends." Four of the creations that had been created on Utopia appeared behind the Master and they began to talk.<br>"The Lady doesn't like us," The first sphere said.  
>"Silly Lady." The second sphere said.<br>"Dead lady." The third sphere said.

The Master grabbed Gaia's arm and pulled her out of the room as the spheres were let loose on Vivien. Vivien screamed and the Master quickly closed the door, him and Gaia now in the corridor. "You didn't have to do that!" Gaia whined, her head still thundering from his attack.  
>"Oh, but you were trying to ruin my fun." The Master whined.<br>"Fun! You killed her!" Gaia shouted fuming.  
>"Oh hush now. It's not as if this is your planet." The Master dismissed and started to walk away. Gaia remained quiet and didn't follow; he had never asked which planet she was linked too, so she had never told him.<p>

The Master noticed her silence and stopped in his tracks. "Wait, Earth is your planet?" He said turning on his heels. Gaia looked down, not able to meet his eye. "It is and you're linked to the stinking humans who inhabit it." He said; Gaia's lips thinned. The Master then walked up and stood right in front of her. "Now I'm truly sorry of what is to come." He said almost regretfully and walked away. Gaia didn't know what he was planning, all she could do was hope the Doctor got here before he could.

Gaia sat on the plush red seat her legs crossed and the expression fierce. The Master was currently addressing the nation with his first official Prime Ministerial speech and Gaia couldn't help but have a feeling something extraordinarily bad was going to happen. "Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen... Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again the government told you nothing. Well not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this...citizens of Great Britain... I have been contacted. A message, for humanity, from beyond the stars." Gaia had to hold back a gasp as a video of the sphere's appeared on the monitor.

"People of Earth," the Sphere began. "We come in peace. We bring you great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship." The sphere said and Gaia had to hold back from shouting in protest. The Masters childish remark didn't help.  
>"Ooh, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane. And tomorrow they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take place our place in the universe..." Gaia would have gotten up at this point, but she could feel the Master's mind teetering on her weakened barriers, one wrong move and he'd attack. So she had no choice but to sit and wait. "...Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every... oh, I don't know... medical student?" The Master finished and locked eyes with Gaia. Gaia gulped... Martha.<p>

Gaia sat in one of the empty meeting rooms, the Master sitting opposite with his feet on the table, chucking grapes into his mouth. "I don't see why you're so angry. I gave them a warning." He said, almost innocently.  
>"You bombed her house! What if someone else had been there, you could've hurt anyone with..." Gaia began but the Master held his finger up and shushed her as he picked up the phone. Gaia was fuming as Martha's voice filled the sound-proofed room.<br>"You gotta trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone! Just hide!" Martha said to whoever was on the other end of the phone.  
>"Ooh, a nice little game of hide-and-seek. I love that. But I'll find you, Martha Jones. Been a long time since we saw each other. Must be, what, one hundred trillion years?" The Master said causing Martha to go in uproar.<br>"Let them go, Saxon. Do you hear me? Let them go!" The Master didn't reply.

"I'm here." The Doctor's voice now bounced around the room. The Master took a deep breath.  
>"Doctor." He greeted, anything but warmly.<br>"Master."  
>"I like it when you use my name."<br>"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day."  
>"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"<br>"Where's Gaia?"  
>"Oh, your precious planet-keeper, she's right here. Been a pain in the arse if I'm quite honest. Lecturing me on how blowing you up was a bad idea. The cheek of it."<br>"Shut up!" Gaia called.  
>"See there she is again." The Master said to the Doctor.<br>"That wasn't Gaia, that was your wife." The Doctor retorted worriedly and slightly angrily. Gaia's anger subsided, she knew it was stupid to be upset about that fact the Doctor didn't recognise her, she'd got a perception filter on, but the fact of the matter was... it still hurt.  
>"Perception filters are wonderful things." The Master stated, eyeing the golden chain that hung around Gaia's neck.<p>

The Doctor changed the subject, satisfied that Gaia was safe. The Master wouldn't do anything to her if she stayed by the Master's side until he could get to her. "So... Prime Minister." The Doctor said his tone considerably more relaxed.  
>"I know. It's good, isn't it?" The Master replied not surprised at the Doctor's changed of topic.<br>"Who are those creatures? 'Cause there's no such thing as Toclafane. It's just a made-up name like the Bogeyman." The Master was very quick to reply.  
>"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home. Where is it, Doctor?"<br>"Gone."  
>"How can Gallifray be gone?" The Master was now on his feet; his anger evident on his face, Gaia almost shrank back in her chair. The anger of a Timelord was something to be feared.<br>"It burnt."  
>"And the Time Lords?"<br>"Dead. And the Daleks... more or less. What happened to you?"  
>"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me because... I was so scared."<br>"I know."

"Ooh, look. You're on TV." The Master said, eager to move this conversation along.  
>"What? What are you up too? What are those creatures? Tell me!" The Doctor shouted.<br>"No, really you're on the tele." The Master began and a large monitor in the meeting room turned on displaying BBC News. Gaia gasped. "You're public enemies one, two and three. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas so he won't be getting any help from them." The monitor in the meeting room changed to a CCTV image of the Doctor on the phone, Martha and Jack standing together in the background. "Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"  
>"He can see us!" The Doctor's voice echoed around the room and the CCTV footage went blank.<br>"Run for your life, Doctor. RUN!" The Master bellowed and then hung up. Gaia fiddled with the corner of her dress.

Gaia now stood by the Master's side, the wind blowing her hair as Air Force 1 came into land. The President exited the plane and walked down to the steps to meet them at the tarmac. "Mr President, sir!" The Master said his voice anything but serious.  
>"Mr Saxon. The British Army will stand down. From now on, UNIT has control of this operation." President Winters said.<br>"You make it sound like an invasion."  
>"First contact police was decided by the Security Council in 1968. And you've just gone and ignored it."<br>"Well, you know what it's like. New job, all the paperwork. I think it's down the back of the settee. I did have a quick look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bus ticket and uh... have you met the wife?"  
>"Mr Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood ?" Winters began and the Master mimed zipping his lips. "Are you taking this seriously ?" The Master nodded. "To business. We've accessed your files on these...Toclafane. First contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. For that purpose, the aircraft carrier Valiant is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at 8:00 am." The Master then tried to talk though his `zipped` lips. Gaia couldn't stop the giggle that erupted from her lips, causing 2 weird looks from the men. "You're trying my patience, sir." Winters said to the Master. The Master `unzipped` his lips.<br>"So America is completely in charge?"  
>"Since Britain elected an ass, yes. I'll see you onboard the Valiant." Winters finished and turned to walk away.<br>"It'll still be televised though, won't it? Because I promised, and the whole world is watching." Winter's stopped and turned to face the Master.  
>"Since it's too late to pull out, the world will be watching. Me." Winter's finished and entered his car and it drove away.<p>

The Master then turned to face Gaia. "Oh look your little friends are here." He whispered and Gaia slowly turned around to see the Doctor, Jack and Martha standing in the shadows, seeming undetected. "Arrr, bless they think perception filters will work on me. Anyhoo..." He said and turned to face their plane landing on the tarmac. "...We should reach the Valiant within the hour." He finished and led Gaia to the plane, putting his arm around her waist just to infuriate the Doctor further.

After an hour plane flight to the air ship Valiant, Gaia was now standing in the main conference room of the air ship. It was manic with preparations being made here there and everywhere, but that didn't concern Gaia. What concerned her was the fact that the Master was calm, too calm.

"I want the whole thing branded in my sort of honest, not the United Nations. Got that?" President Winters said now taking charge of the situation.  
>"Anything I can do? I could make tea or isn't that American enough? I don't know, I could make grits. What are grits, anyway?" The Master asked sarcastically. Winter's didn't look amused.<br>"If you could just sit." Winters stated and the Master turned away and made a face at Gaia.  
>"Misery guts." He said and pulled Gaia over to the chair. "Some of my best work. Ministry of Defence. I helped design this place. Every detail." The Master continued and sat in the chair next to Gaia.<p>

"So, I make you laugh huh?" The Master said leaning back in his seat.  
>"Shut up." Gaia said with an eye roll, turning her chair away from him. The Master let out a chuckle.<p>

"Two minutes, everyone. According to the treaty, all armed personnel are requested to leave the flight deck immediately. Thank You." Winters said, positioning himself in front of the camera. The Master still didn't look bothered and pulled a bag of jelly babies out of his pocket and offered it to Gaia. "Broadcasting at 7:58 with the arrival time at Oh-eight-hundred hours precisely. And, uh, good luck to all of us." Winters continued.

With a final last minute check the camera's started rolling and Winters made his final speech. "My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world... I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with utmost solemnity. Perhaps out Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew." Winters began and Gaia saw the Master's smile drop. She turns instantly to the door to see the Doctor, Martha and Jack standing there, all their gazes fixed on Winters. He continues talking. "For as long as man had looked to the stars he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone..."

Gaia leaned over to the Master. "Please take off the perception filter, or at least allow me the option to take it off." She asked. The Master shook his head; too many things could go wrong.  
>"Not a chance." He said through gritted teeth and Gaia flopped back in her chair.<p>

Winters was still talking as this conversation took place. "And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane." 3 Toclaphane spheres appeared behind Winters. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon." The Spheres didn't take this introduction well.  
>"You're not the Master." A Blue-ish Toclaphane said.<br>"We like the Mr Master." A Gold-ish Toclaphane said.  
>"We don't like you." A Black Toclaphane said.<br>"I can be Master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you if that is God's will." Winter answered, Gaia couldn't help but feel sorry for the old man, he didn't stand a chance.  
>"Man is stupid." Said the black Toclaphane.<br>"Master is our friend." The Blue said.  
>"Where's my Master, pretty please?" The Gold said.<p>

The Master couldn't take it anymore. "Oh, all right then. It's me. "The Master stands up. "Ta-da! Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy!" The Master said psychotically, leaving everyone in the room confused.  
>"Saxon, what are you talkin' about?" Winters asked shocked.<br>"I'm taking control Uncle Sam. Starting with you. Kill him." the Master ordered the Toclaphane. Winter was shortly disintegrated and chaos ensued.

"Guards!" The Master called and the guards ordered no one to move. The Master then looked into the camera. "Now then, peoples of Earth, please attend carefully." The Doctor rushed forward, perception filter now removed. He was caught by guards. "We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho! I love saying that!"  
>"Stop this! Stop it now!" The Doctor yelled.<p>

He was ignored by the Master who looked up at Martha and Jack in the corner, but Gaia ran over to the Doctor. He brushed her off. "It's me Gaia." Gaia urged the Doctor looked at her sceptically.  
>"Aww, I don't think he believes you. Rooky mistake!" The Master said looking at the pair.<br>"Oh shut up." Gaia replied, fed up with his immature and degrading comments. The Master raised his eyebrows at her.  
>"Now that's no way to talk to your Master." He said, his voice far too soft making it all the more terrifying. Gaia then screamed and fell to the floor, the Master, once again, lashing out mentally at her.<br>"Stop it!" The Doctor shouted and Gaia's screaming ceased. She lay there on the floor, breathing deeply.  
>"Oh but Doctor, you don't believe it's her. So what if another worthless human gets hurt?" The Master toyed. The Doctor ignored him and changed the subject.<p>

"It's that sound, the sound in your head. What if I could help?" The Doctor pleaded. The Master wasn't buying it.  
>"Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane! Professor Lazarus. Remember him? And his genetic manipulation device? Did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver... But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do!" The Master then ran up the stairs to a silver case. He whipped it open to reveal the Doctor's hand. "I've got his hand! And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?" The Master then pointed his screwdriver at the Doctor. The Doctor screamed as the beam made contact and he started to convulse on the floor.<p>

A few seconds later the Doctor collapsed to the floor, now having the body of a very old man. Gaia rushed to his side her thudding head now long forgotten and Martha's not far behind, but in her lack of understanding pushed Gaia away, believing her to be Lucy Saxon. "Ah, ah, ah." The Master said and grabbed Gaia's arm pulling her away from the Doctor. She shouted in protest. "I have something I want you to see." He said and pulled her over to the window. "And better yet feel." He continued and ripped the necklace from her neck. Gaia's appearance distorted back to herself when the Master took the perception filter off, her dark hair replaced the blonde of `Lucy Saxon` and her body shrank a little.

"Two minutes past. Watch your world burn." The Master whispered in her ear. Then out of nowhere millions upon millions of spheres appeared in the sky, their target... Earth. "Do you know how many there are? 6 billion... basically welcome to hell."

Gaia screamed as she felt the first wave of deaths, the Master still having a hold on her upper arm prevented her from falling to the floor. When on Earth or within its atmosphere, she could usually feel the death of a human but there were always enough births to counteract that. Not this time though and the deaths of so many were killing her.

Gaia didn't notice Martha teleport out of the Valiant, she was too absorbed in the pain on the Earth below to notice anything that was happening in the room, but she could feel her when she reappeared on the Earth below and all she could do was wish the girl good luck.

The Master was still stood at her side, but he loosened his grip on her arm. "And so it came to pass... that the human race fell and the Earth was no more. And I looked down..." But, before the Master could finish, Gaia disappeared in a flash of golden light.

The Master turned to the Doctor fuming. "WHERE IS SHE?" He shouted. The Doctor smiled and 3 words left his lips.  
>"I don't know." He muttered, but the smile remained on his face. Gaia wasn't here and right now, for her, anywhere was safer than here. The Master didn't look happy.<br>"Take him to his cell." He ordered the guards and they dragged Jack and the Doctor away, leaving the Master alone with his thoughts.


	11. So It Came To Pass

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, I try to get slightly ahead on chapters before I update them. And I aim to write 5,000 a chapter so they take awhile. Anyway, thanks for the reviews they mean a lot. I'm glad people are liking the story. **

Gaia was blinded by a golden light as she stood beside the Master. It numbed her pain, so she welcomed it with open arms and it seemed to hug her back. When the gold light finally receded she was no longer being held by the arm watching her world burn, she was in someone's arms, someone who wore scratchy tweed and a bow tie. "Sh, it's alright. You're safe now." The 11th Doctor said softly to Gaia, holding her close. Gaia leant into the Doctor and wept, happy to be out of that horror.

*10 Minutes Earlier*

The Doctor worked frantically around the console, pulling levers and flicking switches. "What are you doing?" River asked him, but he was too busy to give an intelligent reply.  
>"I know where she was." He said to himself more than River. His head was now under the console as he stripped and knotted 2 wires together.<br>"Where who was?" River asked, her patients wearing thin.  
>"Gaia." The Doctor mumbled a wire in his mouth as he connected another 2.<br>"But she just left." The Doctor pulled himself out from under the console and ran over to the monitor. "Doctor, how could it be Gaia, she just left!" River now demanded standing next to the Doctor. The Doctor turned to face her.  
>"It's a younger her. Gaia's known me and you for quite a while, she knew you, in theory, before you even knew her. Anyway, she disappeared once, well escaped really and I never found out where she went." The Doctor explained.<br>"Where did she go?" River asked, her anger subsided and worry in her voice. The Doctor smiled at her.  
>"With us" and a golden light filled the console room, emanating for one point. Although blinded, the Doctor made his way to the centre of the light and hugged the forming golden figure. The sound of sobs quickly filled the room and the image of Gaia formed.<p>

*Present*

Gaia had stopped crying now and was eerily silent. River mouthed a question to the Doctor who answered with a shrug. Looking down at the now still form on his shoulder, the Doctor kissed Gaia's forehead. "Are you okay?" The Doctor asked and River face palmed. But to both their surprise Gaia didn't respond. River tried again.  
>"Sweetie..." River said, hoping to get some reaction of Gaia. But her head remained on the Doctor's shoulder and her mouth shut. River raised her eyebrow at the Doctor.<br>"She's not asleep, her breathings too shallow." The Doctor assessed and slowly lifted Gaia's head off of his shoulder.

Gaia was very much awake, but so lost inside herself that she may as well have been asleep. Her eyes were open, yet they were glazed and distant. The Doctor gulped at her expression. "Doctor, what's wrong with her?" River asked her voice full of worry as one of the most important people in her life stood in front of her with an expression of the walking dead.  
>"I don't know." The Doctor replied, his voice hoarse. He brushed a piece of hair out of Gaia's face and looked at her spaced out eyes. He planted a kiss on her forehead before scooping her up bridal style. "Medical room." The Doctor urged and carried Gaia down the stairs, River following close behind.<p>

The Doctor carried Gaia into the large clinical room the Tardis had installed and laid her down onto the hospital bed. The Doctor then pulled a large device over the top of Gaia and set it to scan. The results were instant and they didn't look good. "She's killing herself." The Doctor said gravely, his eyes flittering over the scan results on the monitor.  
>"What? What's wrong with her?" River said instantly looking over the Doctor's shoulder and reading Gaia's results. "Oh..."<p>

**SCAN RESULTS:**  
>PLANET KEEPER<br>POSSIBLE LIVER, KIDNEY AND HEARTS FAILURE  
>OXYGEN LEVELS AT 85%<br>RESPIRATORY SYSTEM FAILING  
>BRAIN ACTIVITY 65%<br>PLANEY STATUS- NIL  
>ESTIMATED LIFE EXPECTANCY- 12 HOURS<p>

"She's severed the bond with Earth and her body can't cope." The Doctor summarised to River, who now had a tear rolling down her cheek.  
>"But she can't, you said she was younger, she just..." River sobbed. The Doctor pulled her into a hug. This River was young, still so naive to the true cruelty that the universe could create for him and to those closets to him.<br>"Time can be re-written River. If Gaia dies here then our time with the older her will be rewritten; the older version will never have existed." The Doctor explained solemnly. River looked up at the Doctor.  
>"We have to do something." River stated, all previous emotions forgotten and a look of determination on her face. The Doctor smiled.<br>"Oh you just watch me." He said and untangled his arms from River and got instantly to work.

The Doctor pulled several large contraptions from cupboards and wired Gaia up to near on all of them. He had 3 ECG's set up, each measuring one of Gaia's hearts. He had put her on an IV and had placed 2 patches on her stomach that released hormones to stimulate her liver and kidneys for a short period of time. He had also placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose and whilst doing all of this Gaia's eyes still remained wide open.

"What are you going to do?" River asked, helping the Doctor tape the inserted IV onto Gaia's arm.  
>"We, River, what are we going to do. I need as much help as possible for this to work. We're going to enter Gaia's mind and convince her to reform the bond with Earth." The Doctor explained.<br>"Will that work?"  
>"Honestly, I have no idea. But I'm a bit thin on the ground for ideas here. There's probably a way of saving her without the reformation of the bond, but... I don't know how. A Planet Keeper's anatomy was a well kept secret held by every member of the race, even I only know very little of it." The Doctor admitted. "So we're doing this and I need you to trust me." River smiled softly at him.<br>"Always." She replied.

The Doctor looked on one of the monitors set up next to Gaia's bed. "Alright, the Artemin has reached her heart. Meaning we can get started." The Doctor explained and held River's hand.  
>"What does Artemin do?" River asked, she had never heard of the drug before.<br>"It allows us to do..." The Doctor grabbed Gaia's hand and both he and River were plunged into darkness. "...this."

River could still feel the Doctor's hand in hers, but she was completely blind by the darkness she now found herself in. "Where are we?" River asked.  
>"We're in Gaia's mind." The Doctor explained and started to walk forward pulling River behind him.<br>"So that's what the Artemin does, allows us to get into her mind?"  
>"Not quite. It channels her mental synapse into her skin. More or less anyone who touches her at this moment in time would be plunged straight into her mind." The Doctor explained to River.<br>"Okay, so where is Gaia then?" River questioned.  
>"I don't know. She's probably hiding out of fear. We're going to have to find her."<br>"But how are we going to do that, its pitch black in here?" As soon as the words had left River's lips, lights suddenly filled wherever they were.  
>"I think she heard you." The Doctor said slightly smug to River. River rolled her eyes. "Come along Song, let start looking." He continued and pulled River forward in the white expanse space they now found themselves in.<p>

As the couple walked forward, their white surroundings slowly changed. A path formed beneath their feet and blue grass began to grow down the path edges. In the distance a house came into view and the sound of a sobbing child could be heard from a near-by tree. The Doctor slowly approached the tree with River at his side.

"Hello?" The Doctor called softly and a small head poked itself from the other side of the tree.  
>"Hello..." The little girl sobbed. "Who...are...y...you?" She asked, now standing up and facing the Doctor. She was only a little taller than his knee.<br>"I'm the Doctor, what's your name?" The Doctor replied crouching down to the girl's level. The girl didn't answer him, but instead looked past him at River.  
>"Who are you?" She asked.<br>"I'm River."  
>"Oh..." The little girl said and started to fiddle with her hair. "You better get through the door so Gaia can find you." The girl continued.<br>"What door?" The Doctor asked and the little girl pointed behind them.  
>"That one." Both River and the Doctor turned to see a plain wooden door standing in the middle of the path, their seemed to be nothing on the other side of it, but both time travellers were experienced enough not to judge on appearances.<p>

"Okay..." The Doctor said turning back to the little girl, only to find that she had gone. He then stood up straight and brushed his trousers down.  
>"Doctor who was she?" River asked, now taking a hold of the Doctor's hand again.<br>"I think it was Gaia's daughter. Luna." The Doctor answered, now approaching the door.  
>"Oh..." was River's only response.<p>

Gaia, older Gaia, had told her about her only daughter, Luna. River herself had been in tears when told. She knew from first experience what it was like to be in a life and death situation at such a young age, River was just fortunate enough to survive her ordeal.

The Doctor turned the rusted handle on the door and pushed it ajar. "What's through there?" River asked, not able to see what lay beyond the door. The Doctor was currently closer to the door but could make out little of what lay beyond.  
>"I don't know." The Doctor admitted. He then turned back to River and offered his had to her. "But let's have a look shall we?" He continued. River laid her hand in his and squeezed his hand tight. "Come along Song." The Doctor said, worryingly giddy and walked through the door, River at his heels.<p>

What was on the other side came as a surprise to both time travellers. They were in the TARDIS console room, but it wasn't the current console room. They were in the coral console room; 9 and 10's console room. "Doctor, are we in another TARDIS?" River asked as she begins to inspect the coral beams.  
>"No, this is what the console room looked like before." The Doctor explained and ran up to the console. He inspected it for every detail. "This is a hell of a replica though; every button is in the right place, every lever..." He ducked under the console and pulled out the mallet. "Every hammer. It's an achievement I'll give you that." The Doctor admitted and turned around to face River.<br>"Okay, if we're in a TARDIS, or at least a replica of yours, where are we?" River asked. The Doctor raised his finger and opened his mouth to reply, but then realised he didn't know the answer.  
>"I don't know." He conceded and pulled round the monitor to have a look. River walked up to his side and read the Gallifraen symbols over his shoulder.<p>

"WHO IN RASSILON ARE YOU?" A voice bellowed from behind them. Both River and the Doctor slowly turned to see the 10th Doctor standing there, trench coat and all.  
>"Err..." The 11th Doctor uttered speechless at the sight of his past self. He couldn't help but ponder why he thought the sideburns were a good idea.<br>"2 of you, the mind wanders." River joked, causing the 11th Doctor to blush. 10 also, quite randomly, started to laugh.  
>"You should have seen your faces." He laughed and both River and 11 looked at him confused. "You'll be wanting to go to Gaia's room, that's the next door." 10 explained, but 11 and River stood their frozen with confusion. "Come on chop, chop. Geronimo or whatever you say these days. Gaia hasn't got long and your wasting time talking to me." 10 said and pushed River and 11 down the corridor.<p>

The push seemed to be exactly what 11 needed and as he entered the corridor he broke into a run, dragging River along behind him. "Okay now I'm confused." River stated as she ran next to the 11th Doctor down the Tardis corridors.  
>"Well that makes for 2 of us." The Doctor admitted.<br>"Was that actually you?"  
>"I don't know."<br>"If you don't know, then why are we listening to him?"  
>"...because we don't have much else to go on at the moment."<br>"Fair point." River conceded and came to a halt next to the Doctor as they stopped outside Gaia's door. The Doctor looked up at River.  
>"Ready?" He asked. River nodded in response and the Doctor opened Gaia's bedroom door.<p>

The scene that lay before them was a vast difference to one they had left. They now found themselves in the storage hanger of a rather large star ship. There were several large crates within the room, all coated in a layer of dust and grim. The air smelt stagnant and stale; it was an obvious deduction that no one had been in here for ages.

"Okay, now where are we?" The Doctor asked himself, licking his finger and putting it up in the air. River rolled her eyes at the Doctor's actions and looked behind her at the way that they'd come.  
>"Well wherever we are sweetie, there's no going back." River told the Doctor. The door the couple had entered the hanger through now no longer existed. All that lay behind the pair now was a rather grimy wall.<br>"Hmm..." The Doctor mused and took a step forward and began sniffing the crates.  
>"I wouldn't." River advised and the Doctor promptly sneezed from inhaling the dust. "Told you so." River chuckled. The Doctor wiped his nose on his sleeve and continued investigating.<p>

River also started looking around, but found nothing of interest, until her ears pricked up at a very familiar sound. "Doctor, there's gun fire on approach." She warned and quickly stood by the Doctor's side.  
>"I know, I heard. We're just going to stand our ground okay. This is just an illusion, it's not real." The Doctor explained and River nodded her head in agreement. They linked hands and stood facing the direction the sound of gun fire was coming from. The sound slowly got louder and the beginning of running footsteps could be heard; both River and the Doctor couldn't help but hold their breath in anticipation.<p>

With a flourish a concealed door, bang in front of the duo, flew open and one of the most unlikeliest people ran in. Captain Jack Harkness. "What are you both doing just standing there? RUN!" Jack shouted, grabbing a hold of the Doctor's arms and pulling him, as well as River, across the room.  
>"Jack? What are you doing here?" The Doctor yelled as he ran next to Jack, River on his other side.<br>"I'm not Jack, but I'll explain in a minute when we're not running for our lives." The Not Jack replied.

The trio continued running towards what River and the Doctor presumed as another wall, but at the last minute the wall opened to reveal itself as a door to another room, almost identical to the last. This pattern of running at `walls` repeated itself 3 more times until, in the 5th room, Jack swerved right at the centre and ducked behind a crate, dragging a surprised Doctor and River with him. The thundering footsteps of whatever was chasing them passed the trio and they all took a sigh in relief.

"Well that was close." The Not Jack said relieved.  
>"What was that thing?" River asked, breathless from all the running.<br>"I'm not quite sure; I think it's like an anti-body of sort, resetting the brain. It's already trashed its way through the other levels; it was only a matter of time before it got here." The Not Jack explained, his head leaning back against one of the crates.  
>"Wait levels, that means... this is Gaia's mental security system." The Doctor realised with raised eyebrows. The Not Jack nodded.<br>"Yes and the fact you've been able to figure that out means Gaia is incredibly weak. You've got to help her. Please." The Not Jack pleaded.  
>"We're trying, but how do we get to her?" River retorted to the Not Jack. The Not Jack let a smile grace his lips.<br>"She's behind you." He said and disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Both River and the Doctor turned around. In front of them was Gaia, but she was the Gaia they had left on the hospital bed, a dying woman. "Hi." Gaia said softly to the both of them, she looked tired and could only muster the smallest of smiles.  
>"Hello." The Doctor replied softly and slowly approached Gaia.<br>"I should probably ask what you're both doing here, but it's kind of obvious." Gaia admitted.  
>"Yeah..." The Doctor agreed.<br>"But I had too, they were all dying and I couldn't do anything." Gaia began, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "He butchered them and I could only watch it happen. What kind of planet-keeper am I if I can't even look after my own planet?" Gaia sobbed and fell into the Doctor's outstretched arms. The Doctor stroked Gaia's hair.  
>"I know, but everything's better now. The Earth's safe and back to normal." The Doctor said attempting to comfort Gaia.<br>"How? It was in ruin, the Master had won." Gaia retorted her voice lost of all hope.  
>"Martha did it. She saved the world. And if you want proof, just look at River. You know as well as I do what year she left Earth." The Doctor assured.<p>

Gaia looked up at the Doctor questioningly, her face still glazed with tear tracks. She then turned to face River. Unwinding her arms from around the Doctor, Gaia approached the other woman and proceeded in prodding her in the arm.  
>"Ow?" River stated, proving to Gaia that she was really there. Gaia instantly wrapped her arms around the other woman, much to River's shock.<br>"You're real and Martha did it and..." Gaia blabbered, not stopping for breath.  
>"Breath sweetie." River chuckled and wrapped her arms around Gaia. Gaia took a deep breath and laughed.<p>

Around the trio, the beginning of many soft murmuring could be heard and dozens of little white lights began to appear. River and the Doctor were both entranced at the sight, yet to Gaia it was nothing new. "Thank you." She muttered to the both of them and gave them each a kiss on the cheek. Within a flash she was gone, as was the murmuring and lights.  
>"Doctor, where did she go?" River asked, concerned that they were back at square one.<br>"No where." The Doctor replied casually. "I think we're..."

Before the duo knew it they were back in the medical room, Gaia now sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed and them sitting at her side. "...waking up." The Doctor finished. He quickly got to his feet and rescanned Gaia.

**SCAN RESULTS:**  
>PLANET KEEPER<br>MAJOR ORGANS- HEALTHY  
>OXYGEN LEVELS AT 98%<br>RESPIRATORY SYSTEM- GOOD  
>BRAIN ACTIVITY 89%<br>PLANEY STATUS- ACTIVE  
>ESTIMATED LIFE EXPECTANCY- UNKNOWN (ERROR: TOO LARGE FOR SCAN COMPACITY)<p>

"We did it." River squealed happily, reading the test results over the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor sighed in relief.  
>"Yeah, we did." He admitted and fell back into the chair behind him in relief.<br>"Does you head hurt?" River asked, rather out of blue as she swayed a little and sat back down.  
>"A bit." The Doctor admitted. "It's probably the Artemin. A caffeine boost should handle that."<br>"Well that settles it then." River announced. The Doctor looked at her fearing the worst. "I'm going to have to stick the kettle on." She declared with a grin and the Doctor laughed at her and at his mind, it was forever thinking the worst.

Over the next few hours the Doctor remained at Gaia's bedside, whilst River was constantly in and out of the room, providing herself and the Doctor with a constant stream of tea. The couple talked a little, usually about River's time at university, although the Doctor would, on occasion, talk about one of his adventures. They both were particularly careful though; although Gaia was asleep they had no idea if there was a possibility that she could be listening, hence they didn't mention any adventures with her.

The Doctor also got round to explaining to River about the Master and `The Year that Never Was`, he described to her how Gaia had disappeared on the first day of the Master's ruling and how Gaia had been basically kept prisoner by the man for 18 months beforehand. Although River kept telling him otherwise, he also told her how it was all his fault and how he took any punishment from the Master almost happily for penance of what he put Gaia through.

A little after that Gaia showed signs of waking up.

Cracking open her eyelid, Gaia caught the blur image of brown with a spot of red. The Doctor. "Hi." She managed to croak.  
>"Hello." The Doctor replied cupping her face with his hand.<br>"I feel like I've been out on one of Jack's stag dos." Gaia joked, causing a chuckle out the Doctor and River.  
>"I can imagine" The Doctor replied. Gaia chuckled and attempted to sit up. "Ah, ah, ah." The Doctor said. "Bed rest and general non-moving for you, Doctor's orders." Gaia rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath. "I've always wanted to say that." The Doctor admitted happily, turning back to River. River rolled her eyes.<p>

A few days later Gaia was back on her feet and back to full health; she had made a full and quite remarkable recovery. She had now managed to get the Doctor on his own and she had a few questions to ask him. "Doctor I need to ask you something, well two something's and there important so don't give me some ramblings. Okay!" Gaia stated, not giving the Doctor to say otherwise. He just nodded and let her talk. "Firstly, on the Byzantium, you left to my right yet reappeared on my left. And then you kissed me. Care to explain?" She asked, hands on hips. The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.  
>"As much as it kills me to say it... spoilers." He muttered and Gaia groaned in frustration.<br>"I hate whoever taught you and River that damned word." Gaia retorted and the Doctor out rightly laughed. "What?" Gaia asked, confused at the Doctor's amusement.  
>"Nothing." The Doctor replied, his laughter dying away. "What was your second question?" He asked.<br>"Well it wasn't so much as a question, more that I'm going to state a fact and you're not allowed to disagree or argue. Okay?" Gaia said and the Doctor agreed reluctantly. "It wasn't your fault." She said and walked away.

Gaia entered the console room, where she found River sitting at the bottom of the stairs. She walked down and sat beside her. "You alright River?" Gaia asked. "You've been awfully quiet." River brushed her hair out of her face. Gaia couldn't help but notice she looked very nervous a stark difference to the confident River she had met on the Byzantium.  
>"It's just... don't take this the wrong way, but its weird having a younger you here." River admitted quietly. Gaia chuckled.<br>"No worries, I get it. I guess it's kind of looking at a photo of someone before you knew them, they look like them but their not `your` them." River nodded in response. "If it's any consolation, it's kind of the same with you. I've only met you once before now and you were older then." River chuckled.  
>"We could never have a normal life use three, could we." River stated it was a fact not a question.<br>"Nah, where's the fun in that?" Gaia joked and both women laughed.

"What are you two laughing about?" The Doctor asked as he came walking in from the other corridor. This just caused Gaia and River to burst out laughing again. The Doctor pouted. "Oh come on sweetie, it wasn't about you." River assured the Doctor.  
>"Yeah, we were just having a girly chat. You know about..." Gaia didn't get to finish her sentence as the Doctor interrupted her.<br>"Alright, alright I get it no need to mentally scar me." The Doctor said putting his hands up in defeat. Gaia laughed at the gesture.

"Anyway, where are we going?" Gaia asked.  
>"We are going no where at the minute. You on the other hand have to return to younger me, Martha and Jack." The Doctor said, handing Gaia a vortex manipulator.<br>"Oh..." Gaia said, taking the strap and placing it on her wrist. "I have to go now?" She asked and the Doctor nodded solemnly. "Well thanks for everything I guess." Gaia muttered, trying to prolong her departure. She then had an idea. "First though." She said and turned to face River. She then kissed her on the lips, the taste of bubblegum and cherries filling her mouth once again. River stood there, slightly shocked as Gaia kissed her and remained in that shocked position when Gaia broke the kiss. Gaia laughed at River's expression. "Returning the gesture." Gaia joked.  
>"No kiss for me then?" The Doctor asked half-heartedly. Gaia turned to face the Doctor and chuckled.<br>"You'll get yours in a minute." She answered and disappeared in the usual crackle of the Vortex manipulator.

Seconds after Gaia's departure the doors of the Tardis swung open, scaring the hell out of the Doctor and River. At its door stood an older Gaia who marched in and straight up to the Doctor. She then proceeded in kissing him senseless. "Told you so." She gasped in between kisses, causing River to laugh and the Doctor to smile as they kissed.

Younger Gaia meanwhile, back in 2007, landed, rather unceremoniously, on the pavement on the Plass, much to the shock of 3 near-by people. "Ow." Gaia stated, standing up and brushing herself down, still not noticing the 3 shocked people staring at her. When she finally did look up, she couldn't help but feel a little self conscious. "Err... hi." She said with a little wave to the 3 shocked people, who happened to be Jack, Martha and the 10th Doctor.

"Gaia?" The Doctor said in disbelief.  
>"The one and..." Gaia didn't get to finish her sentence as the Doctor had ran over and hugged her so tight she couldn't finish.<br>"You're okay, you're fine." The Doctor said reassuringly.  
>"Aren't I always?" Gaia joked. "Although I may not be if you don't loosen you grip a little." The Doctor let got of her a blushed.<br>"Sorry." He muttered.

Martha had now walked over to the pair and prodded Gaia in the shoulder.  
>"Ow." Gaia responded much like River had not too long ago in the future.<br>"It's really you." Martha said shocked and gave Gaia a hug, much to Gaia's shock.  
>"Yep really me. Blue hair and all." Martha released Gaia with a smile.<p>

Gaia then turned to Jack. He was still frozen in shock. Gaia pulled a joke. "Did he catch himself in a reflection again?" Gaia asked jokingly. "I swear it took me almost an hour to pull him away last time. He kept trying to seduce himself." Gaia joked, causing both Martha and the Doctor to laugh. Jack pulled a smile. He stretched his arms out and wrapped them around Gaia, bundling her in a hug.  
>"I'm just happy you're okay." Jack muttered. He towered over the Gaia and hence only got a muffled response from her.<br>"Almost sounds like you missed me." Gaia joked when Jack had finally released her. There was an awkward laughter out of the other 3.

"So what are you doing in Cardiff?" Gaia asked.  
>"Dropping me off." Jack answered and the Doctor turned to face him.<br>"I really don't mind though. Come with me." The Doctor insisted. Jack looked over the Plass and at Gaia.  
>"I had plenty of time to think during, well, anyway... and I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said Doctor, responsibility." The Doctor nodded and turned to Gaia.<br>"What about you?" He asked. "I can't deny I have millions of questions concerning your whereabouts, but it's your choice." Gaia ran her fingers through her hair, contemplating her decision.  
>"As much as I would love too Doctor, I should stay with Jack. And as to where I was, you'll figure it out eventually, you always do." Gaia replied and stood next to Jack.<br>"Defending the Earth can't argue with that." The Doctor conceded.

The Doctor then went to give Jack a hand shake but pulled his sleeve back at the last minute, revealing his Vortex manipulator. "Hey I need that!" Jack defended, but the Doctor wasn't having any of it and pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.  
>"I can't have you walking around with a time-travelling teleport. You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologise." The Doctor argued and disabled Jack's manipulator.<br>"What about hers?" Jack retorted pointing to Gaia.  
>"What about mine?" Gaia argued back, making the pair truly sound like arguing siblings.<br>"Aren't you going to disable hers?" Jack asked the Doctor, his tone whiney and childish.  
>"No." The Doctor replied sternly, like a parent would to arguing children. "She'd just re-enable it again if I did." The Doctor added and Jack pouted.<p>

Jack sighed. "Sorry, brings out the worst in me. What about me, by the way, can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?" Jack asked the Doctor seriously. The Doctor put his hands up.  
>"Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing Jack." The Doctor replied and Gaia laughed.<br>"Been called that before." Jack began, elbowing Gaia to stop her from laughing. "I keep wondering though, what about ageing? Cause if I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?" Jack asked hands on hips. The Doctor shook his head.  
>"I really don't know."<br>"Okay vanity. Sorry. Can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid back on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud. The Face of Boe they called me." Jack chuckled at the memory. He gave both the shocked Martha and Doctor a salute. "I'll be seeing you." He said and turned and walked away.

Martha and the Doctor looked at each other shocked, before the latter turned to face Gaia. "I know." She said with a smile. "I better be heading off, God knows what trouble he's already got himself into." Gaia said with a little wave and began to walk away. She then doubled back on herself and walked towards the Doctor. "Last thing though..." She said and like River before, she snogged the Doctor senseless.

This was her first time kissing the 10th Doctor and he tasted different to the 11th. He tasted more refined, rather than the sweet explosive flavours off the 11th Doctor; 10 tasted like cinnamon and apple with a hint of whiskey. It was the taste of experience and age and it fit rather well with the 10th Doctor's personality.

The Doctor stood there dazed when Gaia broke the kiss and Martha stood there even more shocked than before. "Returning the gesture." Gaia chuckled and ran across the Plass to catch up with Jack.

"`Kiss, Kiss`." Martha said.  
>"`Bang, Bang`." The Doctor muttered and they both watched the 2 retreating figures with amusement.<p>

"Oi, wait up." Gaia called running towards the retreating figure of Jack. Jack laughed and turned to face Gaia.  
>"Come on; let's see what the kids have been up to after we left 'em home alone." Jack joked and put his arm around Gaia's shoulder.<br>"I hope that was a metaphor." Gaia stated with a look of disgust on her face. Jack burst out laughing.  
>"Well..." Jack began. Gaia promptly whacked him on the arm, before she began laughing herself. The best friend, practically sibling, duo walked away into the city, heading back to the day (&amp; night) job.<p> 


	12. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: I really should be doing revision right now, but this is more fun. ;) I'm planning on updating a chapter once a week from now on hopefully. I'll try at least. :) Also pre-warning this chapter contains a bit of swearing in it, but it is Torchwood... **

"Jack they're all heading out." Gaia called, her eyes still fixed on the laptop in front of her. Jack ran into the room and looked at the laptop screen over her shoulder.  
>"Show time." He announced and grabbed his coat. Gaia shut the laptop and put it in one of her `bigger on the inside` pockets. She then followed Jack out onto the street.<p>

For the last 2 week Jack and Gaia had been laying low in one of the many houses Jack owned in the Cardiff area, none of which were actually signed under his name hence no chance of the others finding them. The house they'd been in was nice, but that was it, nice. As much as suburban life was quaint and peaceful, the both of them had been itching to leave the minute they'd arrived. Quaint and peaceful wasn't their thing.

But now they had to get to the coordinates where the Torchwood team were at; they had to take the bus. "Okay, we need to get off at Sloper Road, that looks like where the SUV's headed." Gaia explained, looking at the tracking system on the laptop in front of her. She then turned to Jack who looked uncomfortable on the bus seat. "Oh would you grow up. A public bus isn't going to kill you." She snapped. "Not that it would matter if it did." She added in a mutter. Jack gave her a look, but stopped fidgeting on the seat.  
>"What are they after?" Jack asked now back in `work` mode.<br>"By the reports on the hub screens, it seems to be a blow fish of sorts. Police report states that "a man in fish fancy dress, driving a red stolen convertible, through down-town Cardiff"." Gaia read out to Jack. Jack nodded, taking it all in.  
>"Have I ever told you you're amazing?" Gaia shut her laptop and looked up at Jack, her expression neutral.<br>"Not nearly enough." She replied and burst out laughing.

Sneaking into the house, Gaia and Jack had their guns at the ready. They had gotten off the bus in the nick of time and had sprinted to the house from the bus stop after hearing the sound of gun fire. Now though, they could hear the taunts of the blow fish next door and it was trying both of their patients. "So, what about it, minion? Can you do it? How good are you? How sharp is your aim? What if you kill her? What if I kill her first? Can you shoot, before I do? Can you? Dare you? Would you? Won't you?" The blowfish said as it held a teenage girl hostage.

Both Gaia and Jack had readied themselves behind Ianto at this point, aiming at the blowfish. In unison they shot and hit the blowfish in either side of its head, it fell to the floor releasing the girl, dead. Ianto checked his gun to make sure he hadn't shot, before he turned to look behind him. Alike to the rest of the team he was shocked to see his bosses standing at the door, guns smoking.  
>"Hey kids. Did you miss us?" Jack said with a grin.<p>

Now back in the hub for the first time in a long time, Gaia stood at Jack's side and watched the team work very effectively without them. "Are you sure no more like him came through?" Gwen asked Toshiko, it was made obvious very quickly that she had taken charge since their departure.  
>"Cross-referencing with the rift activity monitor, doesn't look like it." Toshiko explained, reading the results off the monitor in front of her. Ianto then walked in and straight up to Gwen, walking straight pass Gaia and Jack.<br>"The car's been impounded. I'll get it back to the owner in the morning." Ianto told Gwen and she nodded in response.  
>"Um, can you deal with the body when it's cold?" Gwen asked and Ianto smiled.<br>"My Pleasure... unless you mean making sushi." Ianto replied, his sarcasm evident.  
>"No, the morgue'll do fine. Thank you." Gwen replied with a smile.<p>

Jack looked at the team and smiled, as did Gaia. "Got pretty organised without us." Jack commented. Gaia took a step away from him, he was on shaky ground. You didn't want to get on the wrong side of Gwen Cooper and Gaia knew that better than most people.  
>"Yeah, well we had to." Gwen retorted, still looking at Tosh's monitor. But Jack being Jack had to continue poking it with a stick.<br>"Did you decorate in here?" Gwen doesn't reply this time but pushed Jack backwards and he ended up falling into Gaia.  
>"You left us!" Gwen shouted to the both of them. Gaia replied this time.<br>"We know, we're sorry."  
>"We knew nothing." Gwen began and then pointed at Gaia. "And you buggered off before him and left us in shit." She continued.<br>"Where were you?" Tosh asked them both, he voice much calmer than Gwen's.  
>"I found my Doctor." Jack said.<br>"Did he fix you?" Owen asked.  
>"What's to fix? You don't mess with this level of perfection." Jack joked and everyone rolled their eyes.<p>

They all then turned to face Gaia now. "I was with the Doctor kind of, it's a bit complicated." Gaia began.  
>"Try us." Gwen replied, her anger still evident although she simmered down a little.<br>"Well, the Doctor's a time traveller so he doesn't exactly do things linear and well neither do..." But Gaia stopped short when she sensed something, well someone to be exact. She grabbed her coat and walked out. "I'm gonna kill him." She shouted as she left. The rest of the team looked completely confused at Gaia's sudden departure, but they had bigger fish to fry.  
>"Rift Activity." Tosh shouted and they all sped into action.<p>

Gaia was fuming. How dare he come here? After everything that happened, how bloody dare `He`. She didn't even bother with a vehicle, she ran to where `He` was, causing her bypass respiratory system to work over time. She ended up at a bar in downtown Cardiff, abandoned after gun fire from inside. Without waiting she burst through the bar door, positively peed off.

`He` was sitting very causally at the end of the bar, bottle in hand. "Princess, what a surprise to see you here!" He, namely Captain John Hart, said bottle of whiskey millimetres from his lips.  
>"What do you want John?" Gaia snipped not in the mood for any of his games.<br>"Now, now no need to be rude. The last time we met I remember you being much more kind." John toyed placing his bottle down on the bar and starting to approach Gaia. Gaia stood her ground and looked at John defiantly. They now stood face to face millimetres from each other.  
>"I'll ask again, what do you..." Gaia slurred the end of her question as the waft of John's pheromones hit her. John smiled devilishly as he saw Gaia's eyes mist over and taking his chances he leant in and kissed her. Unlike previous Gaia's previous kisses this kiss was lustful and untamed; Gaia's hands ran wild through John's hair and John held Gaia close pressing their bodies together.<p>

At some point during the kiss, John seemed to loose all self control of the kiss and his pheromones wavered. This wavering broke Gaia from her pheromone induced state and she wasn't happy that he had taken advantage of her... again. Slowly opening her eyes and she saw, with relief, that John had closed his and hence she made her hands descend from John's hair to the lapels of his hideous red jacket. Making sure her hands were firmly gripped on John's lapels, she got her feet in position and then in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... she kneed him in the balls.

John's eyes flew open in shock and he gasped from breath. Gaia gave the man a gentle push and he fell to floor, winded and shocked at Gaia's actions. "Probably should have seen that one coming." He muttered breathlessly. Gaia wiped her mouth and nodded.  
>"Yes you should have." She spat venomously. The sound of applause from behind them caused Gaia to spin around and John to look up. Standing in the doorway was Jack with a look of amusement on his face. "I was going to break you up, but it looks like Gaia's got that one sorted on her own." He jested walking over to the pair. "I should have known it would have been you to make her react like that. "Jack stated his voice serious and unwelcoming to John.<p>

John slowly stood up and brushed himself down before walking over to Jack. He doesn't say a word. Then WHAM! John punches Jack across the face and Jack returns to gesture to John. They end up grabbing each other and a fight ensues.

Gaia rolled her eyes at the 2 grown men fighting each other like teenage boys. She simply skirted around them, and the carnage they created, and sat at the end of the bar, drinking the remains of John's whiskey. Although she wasn't inclined to using alcohol to solve your worries, the whiskey was a nice nullifier to John's aggravating arrival. It's not like she hadn't been through enough in the last month already. As she thought this John and Jack smashed through the glass partition in the bar and Gaia winced at the sound. Finishing her bottle of whiskey she pulled another from behind the bar. She then grabbed the top between her teeth, pulled it out and spat it across the room where it hit John in the back of the head. She laughed at his confusion and took a swig of the bottle in her hand.

John's confusion allowed Jack to slip out of his grip and clamber to his feet. He instantly pulls out his gun and points it at the other man, John mirrors his actions. They smile and chuckle as they begin to circle each other, the only sound being their scraping feet on the glass ridden floor, their ragged breaths and Gaia's gulping of alcohol.

"You're putting on weight?" John teased, his gun still trained on Jack.  
>"You're losing your hair?" Jack responded, just as quick and witty.<br>"What are you wearing?" John retorted, seemingly unaffected by Jack's comments, although Gaia knew otherwise.  
>"Captain Jack Harkness, note the stripes."<br>"Captain John Hart, note the sarcasm."  
>"Hey, I worked my way up through the ranks." Jack argued, slightly peeved.<br>"I bet the ranks were very grateful." John sighs and his gun wavers. "I need a drink." He states calmly. Jack lowered his gun.  
>"I thought you'd never ask." Jack replied and caught a bottle of whiskey Gaia threw him. He then sat himself down next to Gaia; John sat next to him, away from Gaia.<p>

"How was rehab?" Jack asked between sips.  
>"Rehabs. Plural." John replied wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.<br>"Drink, drugs, sex and..." Gaia listed.  
>"Murder." John finished and Jack laughed.<br>"You went to murder rehab?" Gaia said shocked.  
>"I know, ridiculous. The odd kill, who does it hurt?"<br>"You clean now?" Jack asked. John nodded.  
>"Yeah. Kicked everything. Living like a priest." John replied with a smile, taking a swig of his vodka for good measure.<br>"I can see." Gaia smirks taking a bit of her own bottle. Jack laughed at the pair; it was just like the old days when they use to `travel` together. He used the word `travel` on loose terms, most of the time it was an intergalactic pub crawl.

"So, how's the Time Agency?" Jack asked as a passing comment. John's head rose a little and he lowered his drink.  
>"You didn't here,,, It shut down."<br>"Your kidding." Jack said shocked.  
>"No. There are only seven of us left now." John stated.<br>"Wow." Jack commented shocked and Gaia had raised eyebrows. She knew of the time agency, although most of them were borderline alcoholics and sometimes played on the wrong side of the law, they were nice enough people if you were nice to them.

"Yeah. It's good to see you. It was never the same without you two." John said and went in to kiss Jack. Jack ducked out the way.  
>"You need to go." Jack stated in all seriousness.<br>"What?" John spluttered shocked.  
>"I certainly don't want you on my planet." Gaia added, putting her drink down on the side.<br>"Time was, you couldn't get enough of me." John retorted, his anger evident. Before either Jack or Gaia could react, no doubt due to the added alcohol in their systems, John grabbed one of the discarded guns on the bar and shot the door, causing the glass to smash. "All right, everybody out!" He yelled.

Unsurprising to any of the trio, Gwen and Ianto step out. "Everything all right, Jack?" Gwen asked her gun out training the area. Ianto mirrored her actions the other way.  
>"It's okay." Jack insisted as Owen and Tosh came in through the back.<br>"You've got a team! How sweet! Oh, pretty little friends! No blonde though. You need a blonde." John commented snarky. Gaia lobbed an empty bottle at him, yet he swerved out the way at the last second. "Temper, temper Princess." John commented waggling his finger. Gaia scowled.  
>"Bite me." She snapped. Everyone looked at the interaction with shock; the team still inched towards John though.<br>"God! He's worse than Jack." Owen said and was ignored by everyone else.

John turned to face Jack. "Oh do you have a team name? I love team names, go on!" He asked like an excitable child. Jack sighed.  
>"Torchwood." Jack answered. John looked almost disappointed.<br>"Oh. Not Excalibur? Blizzard? Bikini Cops? No? Torchwood, oh dear." John said. Jack profusely ignored him, Gaia on the other hand didn't.  
>"You're unbelievable." Gaia snipped and John winked.<br>"Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, meet..." Jack began.  
>"Captain John Hart." John finished.<br>"We go back." Gaia added.  
>"Excuse me. We more than go back. We were partners." John retorted and Gaia glared at him.<br>"In what way?" Owen asked, almost sounding disappointed.  
>"In every way and then some." John assured Owen much to Gaia's discomfort.<br>"It was only 2 weeks." Gaia retorted.  
>"Except that 2 weeks was trapped in a time loop, so we were together 5 years. It was like marriage." John explained strangely cheerfully.<br>"Oh shut up." Gaia argued.  
>"Make me."<p>

Jack rolled his eyes. "As fun as this is, what are you doing here?" Jack asked, tired of `the happy couples` arguing.  
>"I was wondering when we'd get to that." John said a pulled back his sleeve to reveal his vortex manipulator.<br>"That's the same as Jack's." Tosh noted.  
>"And Gaia's." Ianto added not missing a trick. John eyed Gaia's wrist as Ianto said this and was surprised to see a Vortex Manipulator there.<br>"It's a little smaller than mine." Jack commented. John rolled his eyes.  
>"But lasts much longer. Get Time Agents in the same room together, it's always about the size of the wrist strap." John joked.<br>"Ah, yes, sorry? What's a Time Agent?" Owen asked, vocalising the question the rest of the Torchwood team were thinking. John looked up at him in genuine shock.  
>"What? They never told you about their past?" John asked, although he already knew the answer.<br>"No, they haven't." Gwen answered; Jack seemed unfazed by this, whilst Gaia shifted uncomfortably. She really should tell them.

"Anyway..." John continues and his manipulator produces a hologram of a canister appears. "I'm working with this woman - beautiful, clever, sexy, yadda yadda yadda - and we both get shot. And as she's dying, she begs me. She tells me about these radiation cluster bombs she'd been working on." As John pressed more buttons on his manipulator, causing the hologram to disappear, Gaia looks up at the others to see if any of them were buying it. To her disappointment it seemed like they were.

"3 canisters, contents beyond toxic, swallowed up in a riftstorm." John pressed; Gaia still couldn't believe the incredulity of the story he was inventing. "They ended up here. That's the downside of your city being built on a rift in space and time. Now, left to their own devices, the radiation'll break down the canisters and then infect your people and planet. They need to be neutralised." John concluded, finishing, in Gaia's eyes, his far fetched story.

"What do you get out of this?" Jack asked sounding sceptical.  
>"Dying woman's wish." John tried and Jack raised his eyebrow, Gaia looked equally unconvinced. "Now there's only one problem: I don't know where they are. Hoping local knowledge might help." John said, now addressing everyone.<br>"When we get back to the hub..." Tosh began but Gaia interrupted her before she could continue.  
>"You believe him?" Gaia asked shocked. Although shocked at Gaia's outburst and general behaviour through the course of the evening, each member of Torchwood slowly nodded. Gaia raised her eyebrows. "I'm going back to the hub." She stated and walked out... again.<p>

Gaia walked back to the hub, her head slightly fuzzy from the alcohol. She hoped the fresh air may do her some good, as well as the fact that she good connect out here. She had been quite fortunate in the last few weeks; she had managed to get a few hours meditation in that suburban house, a day. She thought it would be best to meditate after the incident on the Tardis. She hadn't slept too well after then, the pain and screams of the dying massacre haunted her every dream. She had tried to hide it from Jack; those nights when he'd go to sleep and she'd stay up, but she had her speculations that he had caught on.

They hadn't talked about what went on, well not for the 2nd departure. Gaia had explained to him what had happened on the Byzantium and her confusion of her relationship with River and the Doctor. Jack had obviously put in some comments and observations on the matter and the both of them had laughed themselves silly. It was the first proper laugh she'd had with Jack and it had been a lovely night.

Now though Gaia was standing on the invisible lift, descending into the hub. She was tired and wanted to sleep. She'd have to battle the `Night Terrors` tonight; her body was running adrenaline, fuelled by alcohol. Hence, upon arrival on the ground, she wasted no time in clambering up to her office and collapsing of exhaustion on her bed. Letting her eyes drift shut she let her exhaustion succumb her body and mind, not caring if she was still fully clothed.

Her rest was short lived though. Roughly an hour after her return the sound of the hub alarm went off, indicating that the team had returned and their voices carried well in the cavernous hub. _"She's gone nuts. Wherever she's been over the last few weeks has sent her off her rocker." Owen said. _Although he said it at rather a normal conversation level Gaia heard every word, a mixture of her heightened hearing and the cavernous hub. Her ears pricked at the words and she slowly sat up, anticipating the other's response.

_"We don't know that Owen, it could just be John. They obviously didn't end of very good terms, she hates him." Gwen replied, the voice of reason.  
>"Yeah, but what about before? How in the hell did she know he was here? She couldn't even see the monitor from where she was standing and we didn't even know it was him until Jack's thing went off." Owen argued, now sitting on one of the computer chairs. Everyone else had gotten back to work, although they did listen to what Owen said and although they wouldn't admit aloud they were curious.<br>"I don't know Owen. But right now the whole city could be flooded by radiation no thanks to Captain nut cases canisters. So if you would be so kind and help." Gwen ordered, clearly peed at Owen's behaviour. _

Gaia smiled at Gwen's response. She was some what glad Gwen had taken charge in her and Jack's absence; she kicked arse. Gaia got herself out of bed and straightened herself in the mirror. Sleep could wait. She was about to leave her office when she heard Tosh raise her voice._ "I've got the CCTV footage of the bar; you might want to check this out." Tosh called to the others and they all gathered around her monitor. "Okay, you have the standard night parties ECT. Then John arrives and scares everyone off. He pulls himself a drink and Gaia arrives and well...look." Tosh finished and silence fell over the group as they watched the CCTV footage. _Gaia cringed as she heard the sound of her own voice carry around the cavernous hub and she could feel herself blush as she heard her words slur on the video footage.  
><em>"What's happening to her?" Gwen asked.<br>"It looks like he's drugged her." Owen commented, still watching the rolling CCTV. "They're really going for it." _The sound of John's grunt in pain carried to Gaia as did the laughs of Gwen and Tosh and the sucked in breaths of Ianto and Owen and they winced in sympathy.  
><em>"That's gotta hurt." Gwen commented, no hint of sympathy in her voice. Owen nodded beside her. "Question is what made her act like that in the first place?" Gwen continued and everyone shrugged.<em>

"It was pheromones." Gaia said from behind the group, scaring the hell out of them.  
>"How long have you been standing there?" Gwen asked.<br>"Long enough." Gaia began with a soft smile, her eyes at that moment revealing her true age. "Captain John Hart is from the 51st century where, through years of evolution, they have developed the ability to produce certain pheromones." Gaia explained. The others nodded in understanding,

Owen still had more questions. "What about all that weird shit when Captain whats-his-face arrived?" He asked his arms crossed in front of him. He had been wanting to ask Gaia about her biology for years, she never got ill, never got injured and as he's previously mentioned she doesn't register on the Torchwood scanners.  
>"Well, um..." Gaia looked extremely uncomfortable for a second as she thought this through. This was something unseen by the Torchwood team and they couldn't help but worry at the severity the reason must be. "Pass me the scanner." Gaia asked Owen and although he had raised eyebrows, he complied and handed her the scanner. Gaia placed her hand on it and the results came up instantly on the screen. "I'm not human, never have been. I'm from a planet 5 galaxies from here and I'm quite a bit older than all of you, including Jack." Gaia explained she had by no means any confidence explaining this to the rest of the Torchwood team; in fact she was terrified at their reaction.<p>

No one said anything for a moment as they all seem to absorb what Gaia had just admitted to them. Their silence was broken by the arrival of John and Jack coming down the lift. "It's roomy, I'll give you that." John said as he inspected the hub from above. Everyone jumped into action as John's voice caught their ears. Gaia felt some what relieved that she didn't have to face the onslaught of questions the group no doubt had but she couldn't deny the anticipation might end up killing her.

"Weapons." Jack demanded as the lift reached the bottom. Ianto and Gwen stood on hand, Ianto with tray to carry said weaponry and Gwen with mobile scanner in hand. John removed 2 standard guns, his samurai sword and a small blade on his arm. He then shrugs innocently and Jack raises his eyebrows. "And the rest. " Jack demanded. John defended himself saying he only had the few. Gwen then proceeded to read the weaponry scan results. John reluctantly pulled each out as Gwen listed them.  
>"Slipped my mind." He defended and Gaia snorted. John and Jack turned to face her eyebrows raised; the rest of the team ignored her and got back to work.<p>

Gaia now found herself sitting in the conference room, watching as Tosh briefed the team. "Seven hours ago we logged a minor surge in rift energy, across 3 locations." Tosh explained pointing at the highlighted regions on the map behind her.  
>"Seven of us, three locations. That's simple." John explained, for some reason taking charge and Jack noticed.<br>"Excuse me, I give the orders." He argued and John chuckled.  
>"Well, give some, big boy!" John taunted and Gwen thankfully stepped in before the arguing could begin.<br>"John's righ. Sorry... um... d'you prefer John or Captain?" She asked and Gaia smiled and leant back in her seat. Gwen had just inflated John's ego two fold.  
>"With eyes like yours, call me Vera, I won't complain." John replied, his tone lustful. Gaia caught Ianto in the corner rolling his eyes, Gaia mirrored his action.<br>"Tosh and Owen, take the north. Ianto and Jack go west. Me and Vera'll take the docks." Gwen commanded and Jack looked perplexed.  
>"Excuse me, not to repeat myself..." He began but Gwen cut him off.<br>"Got a problem with this, Jack?" Gwen snipped. Jack smiled and lifted his hand.  
>"Not at all." He replied.<p>

Everyone then began to leave, bar Gwen, Jack and Gaia. Gaia sat their and watched with amusement as Jack went through the dos and don'ts of handling John Hart. Gwen took it all in, although reassured Jack that she could handle herself adding a snide comment of being able to control herself. Gaia growled under her breath at that. Once Gwen had left the room Jack turned to Gaia. "You've been quiet in all this." He observed. Gaia shrugged.  
>"I don't think I'm exactly on the best terms with everyone at the moment. They managed to see the CCTV footage." Gaia replied.<br>"Oh... surely they've seen worse."  
>"Yeah, most likely. But there was also..." Gaia didn't get to finish what she wanted to say and Ianto came in saying that he and Jack had to get a move on. Jack didn't argue with the Welshman and was out the door before Gaia could blink.<p>

After Jack had left, Gaia had stayed in the main hub area not opting to go back up to her office. She had no work that needed completion in her office so she took the opportunity to update her profile on the Torchwood database, changing it from Human to Planet Keeper, she also unlocked the Planet Keeper folders that had remained encrypted on the Torchwood database since it was developed in the late 90s. Once done she sat down on the couch and finished the book she had hidden in its pillows weeks ago. They team had been gone a few hours now and she was expecting them all to arrive together. Hence she was surprised to see John strut back into the hub, all 3 canisters in hand and no other Torchwood members to be seen.

"John where is everyone?" Gaia asked, although she already knew the answer to that.  
>"Shit I forgot you were here." John said and without second though grabbed one of the guns on the nearby table and shot at Gaia. The bullet disintegrated before it could even touch her.<br>"Big Mistake." Gaia said and before John knew it he was on the floor, Gaia was straddling him and holding his hand above his head, the canisters and gun discarded across the floor.

"What did you do to them?" Gaia spat. She was furious and raged at how John had so easily walked all over her team.  
>"You know what I did to them. Y'know I almost regretted having to this on Earth, seeing as it's your planet and all." John began and Gaia growled and tightened her grip on him. "As I said, almost." He finished and let his pheromones run amuck. Gaia didn't stand a chance and within milliseconds she had closed the small gap between their lips. Her hands ran down his arms and began to run down his chest. Before she could get very far though, John flipped her so she was on the floor. Gaia didn't argue, the pheromones were still messing with her brain and her lips still locked with John. What she wasn't expecting was the whack of her head on the floor and the darkness that over took her.<p>

When Gaia finally came around she was lying on the uncomfortable bed in the medical room. "Erg..." Gaia moaned.  
>"Don't worry your fine. Just a whack on the head." Owen's voice told her, it was void of any comfort or compassion.<br>"That will explain the headache." Gaia groaned at she sat up. She then realised something. "Wait, did John leave?" Gaia asked, although she knew he wasn't on the planet she still would like to know where he went.  
>"Yeah." Owen replied and left the room, leaving Gaia on her own. It seemed he still wasn't over it yet.<p>

Gaia slowly got to her feet and swayed a little before getting her bearings. Even more slowly she climbed the medical room stairs to the main hub, where she was met with a cold shoulder. "Err... hi." Gaia said trying to get someone's attention. She was replied with a general muttering of hellos. Gaia rolled her eyes at her dismal response and headed to Jack's office.

She entered and slammed the door shut, just for good measure. Jack didn't react when the door slammed, he didn't even flinch. "You told them then." He said, saying it as if he was describing the weather.  
>"I did, I did what you've been badgering at me for months to do and this is how they react." Gaia retorted on the verge of tears. Jack was up and put his arm around Gaia and led her over to the couch. He had learnt a long time ago not to let Gaia get overly emotionally or the Earth suffered the consequences.<br>"They just need to get use to the idea. Hey, when I told them I couldn't die, they shot me." Jack said reassuringly. Gaia didn't seem to take in the reassurance though.  
>"Jack, I can hear them, all their nattering, all their thoughts and... they think I'm a monster." Gaia said softly. Jack kissed Gaia on the forehead. It was going to be a long day.<p> 


	13. Night Terrors

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: Okay I know in theory it's now Sunday, but I had lots of revision and homework to do, so sorry for the late update. Also we're back to Doctor Who and 11...woo.**

Within the week all members of the Torchwood team were comfortable with one of their bosses being alien. Jack had known it would happen but was surprised that it had taken then so long to do so. For him the team had gotten use to his immortality rather quickly. It only took his sacrifice to the beast or whatever it was called. Unfortunately for Gaia there were no worldwide disasters for her to prove herself, although, in hindsight she shouldn't really have too.

Tosh had cracked first from the cold shoulder regime the team had unconsciously signed themselves too when Gaia had come around. It had been hours after Gaia had woken after being knocked unconscious by Captain John Hart and Tosh had approached her about an artefact that had fallen through the rift. Gaia was surprised at first that Tosh had come over but happily helped her along. Tosh then explained very kindly, in her Tosh way, that she didn't really care if Gaia was human, alien or whatever. She was still her. What Tosh was interested about was the biological differences; hence the pair had spent the next hour talking about that. Tosh was happy to accept Gaia. Gaia had been the one to pull Tosh's abilities to Jack's notice, she had been the one to get her out of that god awful prison after stealing from the Ministry of Defence and she had been the one to get information on Tosh's family behind Jack's back. How could Tosh not accept her?

Ianto had caved not long after. Gaia had found a fresh cup of coffee in her office after talking to Tosh, a small note from Ianto underneath saying sorry. Gaia had smiled at the gesture and when she walked past Ianto in the corridor returning her empty mug to the kitchen she said thank you in person. Gaia had been the only person to say thank you to Ianto from day 1 and he had found out from Jack that it was her that convinced Jack to let Ianto have the job in the first place. Ianto couldn't help but accept her.

Gwen had been the next to come around. She had taken a few days to mull over the idea, but easily accepted it after that period. Gwen had to admit she was slightly freaked when she saw Gaia's predicted age, 2 billion plus years old; it was over 100 of Jack's lifetimes and yet Gaia sat their, not tired with age or death. She looked youthful and in many cases even younger than herself. Although she did envy the woman a little for looking so young at such an old age, Gwen did pity her a little. Gaia had lost her home planet, family and the rest of her species. How could she not accept her?

Owen had taken the longest to accept Gaia. He had taken almost the entire week to come around to the idea. He hadn't taken to being called a liar about Gaia's species a few months earlier too well, although he managed to find reasons why he should accept Gaia. After looking back on all the times Gaia had helped him it was surprising he hadn't noticed it before. The majority of the things she had done to help couldn't have been done by a human. She had stepped in front of a bullet for him too many times to count and each time the gun man had apparently missed... he was so naive sometimes. Then even in his signing to Torchwood, Gaia had popped up at the hospital after the consultation about his fiancées brain tumour, she had tried to convince them to get a different form of treatment. They had both brushed her off. If only he had listened to her his fiancée would still be alive. Gaia had also been the one to console him after her death, she never said told you so or anything like that. How could he not accept her?

Exactly a week after John graced the Earth with his presence, the team were gathered in the conference room eating pizza, laughing at one of Gaia's stories. "So we were there covered in this god awful slime and we end up getting arrested by the local police. They give us a shower to remove the slim and gut wrenching smell, obvious we were under observation the whole time and they take are clothes to wash them. They say they'll give them back to us in the morning so we have to make do with a blanket each. Mr impatient over there couldn't wait until the next morning to escape, so we broke out that night. Running away Jack's blanket catches on the door and he ends up running stark naked through the town. Let's just say we were banned from there." Gaia finished. The team were in hysterics and Jack pouted at the others laughing at his expense.  
>"And that was 300 years ago?" Gwen asked.<br>"Well 300 hundred for me, what 1000 for you Gaia and its 10000 years in your future." Jack explained; the others tried to get their heads around it. Gaia laughed at their confused faces.  
>"You two are impossible." Owen commented shoving a slice of pizza in his mouth. Gaia winked at him and Jack laughed.<br>"We try." They said in unison causing everyone to burst out laughing.

Conversation ensued for another few hours, undisturbed by any rift alarms or police reports. It was the first night Gaia could remember where the team could enjoy each others company. Yet the time eventually came when everyone called it a night and went home, leaving Gaia and Jack alone in the hub. This was when Gaia began hearing the voice. It was strange, it was the voice of child but it was distorted. Gaia could tell it originated from Earth, but not this Earth. Some how someone was calling for her help through time and to do that it had to be urgent.

Gaia told Jack the nature of the pleading and he said she should go and help. The only problem was she didn't know how to trace it; this was where Jack stepped in. His vortex manipulator had a built in psychic interface that allowed for thought controlled transport. The duo spent the next few hours upgrading Gaia's working Vortex Manipulator with the psychic interface from Jack's. At 2 in the morning it was done.

"Okay, here's the coordinates for here, be back as quick as possible." Jack asked, handing Gaia the small piece of paper. Gaia slipped it into her pocket.  
>"I will." She reassured. She then brought the pleading voice to the forefront of her mind and pressed the button on her Vortex Manipulator. She disappeared in a crack.<p>

Gaia landed with a grunt on some wet grass. "Lovely." She muttered as she stood up and brushed herself down.  
>"Who's there?" A voice called. Gaia looked up to see a bright blue box and it owner right alongside.<br>"'Ello." Gaia said with a wave and the Doctor, Amy and her husband Rory, whom Gaia had never met, waved back. Gaia left the small play park she had landed in and walked over to the shocked trio. "What, have I got something on my face?" Gaia asked wiping her face self consciously. Everyone shook their head and Amy poked Gaia in the shoulder.  
>"Gaia?" Amy asked unsure if it were really her.<br>"Um, yeah. Who else would it be?" Gaia replied confused. Amy's eyes widened at Gaia's response and proceeded in smothering her with a hug.  
>"Oh my God it's really you." Amy said relieved. Gaia then turned to look at the Doctor wearily.<br>"Why are you acting like you haven't seen my in a while?" Gaia asked and the Doctor's happy expression faltered.  
>"Gaia, when was the last time you saw me?" He asked.<br>"Well you were still 10 when I last saw you. It was when I went back to Cardiff with Jack." Gaia explained and the Doctor's smile softened and his hand went into his pocket.  
>"Oh." The Doctor commented and pulled his hand out of his pocket, his ring finger now absent of its usual attire.<br>"I'm guessing we're not exactly linear at the moment for the fact that River's not with you." Gaia continued.  
>"No we're not." The Doctor agreed. "More than you know." He muttered so low that even Gaia didn't hear. "Where did you go by the way? During, well, then..." The Doctor asked. Gaia smiled.<br>"Spoilers." She chimed and grabbed the Doctor's hand. "Anyhoo, little boy to find. Come on." She finished and dragged the Doctor by the hand towards the council flats near by, not letting any of them have the chance to argue or question how she knew it was a little boy.

"Please save me from the monsters. Who sent that?" Rory asked, reading the psychic paper. The group were standing in the down stairs corridor of the flats waiting for the lift to reach them.  
>"That's what we're here to find out." The Doctor replied putting the paper back in his pocket.<br>"Sounds like something a kid would say." Amy noted and the others nodded.  
>"It's a little boy." Gaia replied, now frustratingly pressing the lift button wanting it to hurry up. Amy raised an eyebrow at her.<br>"How do you know that?" She asked.  
>"Because I can hear it." Gaia replied and the lift doors finally opened. "Hallelujah." She chimed and step into the lift the Doctor, Amy and Rory right behind her.<br>"How can you hear it?" Rory asked.  
>"The same way it got to the TARDIS. A scared kid's cry for help gets sent out to the 2 people in the universe who'd be happy to help it, well him. Us and Gaia." The Doctor explained and Rory and Amy nodded in understanding.<p>

When the lift reached the 5th floor the group split up, Amy and Rory were checking one side of the building whilst Gaia and the Doctor searched the other. Gaia and the Doctor didn't find much success after being turned down at every door so far. They had come across several filthy and half dressed men, an old lady with an unhealthy obsession to knitting, a few fair normal families and a man with no less than 10 cats. 10! They contravened with Amy and Rory a little while later.

"Hey, any luck?" Amy asked. Gaia shook her head as did the Doctor.  
>"3 old ladies, a traffic warden from Croatia and a man with ten cats." The Doctor listed.<br>"4 bachelor men, 1 old lady and the 10 cat man." Gaia listed.  
>"How did you know they were bachelors?" Rory asked curious. Gaia shivered.<br>"You just knew." She replied and Amy laughed at her expression.  
>"No luck finding the scared little boy on your front either?" The Doctor asked and Amy shook her head.<br>"I found a scary little boy. Does that count?" She replied her sarcasm evident to everyone... bar the Doctor.  
>"Hmm... try the next floor down. Catch you later." The Doctor said and pulled Gaia along to some of the doors they had missed. Amy and Rory shrugged at the other couples departure and entered the arrived lift. The lift arrived at the next level... empty.<p>

The Doctor pulled his psychic paper out of his pocket and proceeded to knock on the door in front of the pair. A man, whom Gaia knows to be, called Alex opened it. "Oh right that was quick." He said, reading the psychic paper the Doctor was holding up.  
>"Was it?" Gaia asked sceptically and snatched the psychic paper from the Doctor's hands.<br>"Claire said she'd phones someone. Social services." Alex continued. The Doctor looked over Gaia's shoulder at the paper.  
>"Yes." The Doctor responded now understanding what Alex was going on about.<br>"It's not, easy, y'know... admitting your kid's got a problem." Alex said scratching his chin. The Doctor nodded.  
>"You've got a problem. We've got a problem. I bet they're connected. I'm the Doctor and this is Gaia. What can I call you?" The Doctor said introducing himself.<br>"Alex."  
>"Hello, Alex." The Doctor said and shimmied on inside. Gaia rolled her eyes at his actions.<br>"I'm Gaia." She said, introducing herself and holding out her hand for Alex to shake. He returned the gesture and gestured for her to come in. She obliged, forever polite and understanding of human formalities, unlike the Doctor. Gaia stepped into the small flat and saw the Doctor admiring a child's sign on a door. The Doctor pivoted round to face Alex after inspecting it.  
>"So... tell me about George." He asks.<p>

The Doctor and Alex sat on the sofa, Gaia on the arm rest and Alex handed the Doctor a photo album which he quickly flicks through, Gaia admiring it over his shoulder. "Ever since he was born he's been a funny kid." Alex explained.  
>"Funny's good! We like funny, don't we?" The Doctor asked looking between Alex and Gaia. Gaia shook her head.<br>"Funny how?" She asked Alex gently.  
>"He never cries. Bottles it all up, I suppose. Tell him off, he just looks at you." Alex continued much to Gaia's fascination. She was intrigued by this boy, whom she had strangely never heard of.<br>"How old is he?" The Doctor asked inspecting a baby picture of George.  
>"He was 8 in January. He should be growing out of stuff like this, shouldn't he?" Alex asked.<br>"Maybe." The Doctor pondered and he put down the album. "It's got worse though lately?" He continued.  
>"Yeah. We talked about getting help. You know, maybe sending him somewhere. He started getting these nervous tics, you know, funny little cough. Blinking all the time. But now it's got completely out of hand. I mean he's scared to death of everything." Alex said, getting himself worked up. He had stood up half way through speaking, trying to calm himself down.<br>"Pantaphobia." The Doctor stated.  
>"What?" Alex replied confused.<br>"Fear of everything." Gaia added and Alex nodded in understanding.  
>"He hates clowns." Alex began to list.<br>"Understandable. I mean whoever created them must be weird." The Doctor commented winking at Gaia. She rolled her eyes. Alex didn't notice this exchange and continued to list the things George was scared of.  
>"Old toys. He thinks the old lady across the way is a witch. He hates have a bath in case there's something under the water. The lift sounds like someone breathing!" Alex sat back down on the couch in defeat. "I don't know. I'm not an expert." He states and rubs his face. "Maybe you 2 can get through to him."<br>"We'll do are best." The Doctor assured.

A thud emanates from George's room and Alex is up like a shot going to see what happened, Gaia and the Doctor not far behind. "George? You ok? What's the matter?" Alex asked panicked as he entered George's room. He then spots the lamp on the floor and picks it up. "Never mind. Were you having a nightmare, son?" He asked. George shook his head.  
>"Wasn't a nightmare. I wasn't asleep." George stated. This was when the Doctor and Gaia walked in. Like a shot George was out of bed and hugging Gaia's leg.<br>"Er... Hello." Gaia said, slightly shocked at George's actions. Alex and the Doctor looked just as shocked.  
>"George, stop that!" Alex insisted, but George ignored him and continued to hug Gaia's leg, the only part of Gaia's body that George could reach.<br>"I don't mind." Gaia said softly and lifted the little boy up. He instantly put his legs around her waist and his head on her shoulder. As soon as George's head came into contact with Gaia's she knew everything. "Oh you poor little thing." She cooed and hugged him tight.

"What? What's wrong with him?" Alex asked scared.  
>"Nothing, nothing at all. He's just scared." Gaia said softly, sitting down on George's bed, the little boy still on her lap.<br>"Gaia, what's going on?" The Doctor asked just as confused as Alex.  
>"He's a Tenza, Doctor and he's terrified that they don't want him." Gaia explained kissing the now whimpering boy on the head. She couldn't help but feel maternal over the little boy. The Doctor's face softened in understanding. Alex looked between the pair confused.<br>"My son's a what? You 2 aren't obviously from social services but would one of you be kind enough to explain to me what in the world is going on!" Alex exclaimed. The Doctor nodded and walked into the other room, Alex quickly followed him.

Gaia knew that the Doctor was going to explain to Alex the nature of a Tenza child so she was content to sit with George. "Monsters eh?" Gaia asked George softly. George lifted his head from Gaia shoulder and sat himself on the bed next to her, leaning into her side.  
>"They're scary." George said in a quiet voice, blinking avidly at the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Gaia followed his eye line and looked at the wardrobe in scrutiny.<br>"I know George, but they're not going to hurt you." Gaia insisted softly. George shook his head and buried it in Gaia's side. "Hey, I'm probably the most scariest monster in your room right now and I'm not hurting you. Am I?" Gaia said. George shook his head.

Suddenly the raised voices of the Doctor and Alex could be heard from next door and George seized up. He instinctively brought his knees to his chest and began rocking back and forward. "Please save me from the monsters!" He whispers and repeats again and again.  
>"George they're not going to hurt you." Gaia tried to insist frantically; she was now kneeling by the side of George's bed so that she was at George's eye level. He didn't seem to hear her though and unfortunately when George does stop whispering, Gaia knows it's too late. The Doctor and Alex were no longer in the next room.<p>

Gaia sighed and shut her eyes in despair for moment before refocusing on the little boy in front of her. He blinks 5 times at her and continues to blink in that pattern of five. "Do you get scared?" George asked from out of the blue. Gaia sighed and nodded softly.  
>"Sometimes." She admitted to the 8 year old.<br>"But you're a planet keeper. What scares you?" George asked curiously.

Gaia wasn't at all surprised that George knew what she was. The Tenza species and herself had made an agreement many centuries ago on the issue of their hatching children. Gaia of course had allowed them to come to Earth on the condition they went to those who needed them the most and didn't harm the humans in any way. She also knew that to honour their agreement the Tenza, who had genetic manipulation devices that the human race wouldn't create for another 2 millennia, had implanted the knowledge of her and Earth into every hatchling in the solar system. She had been touched when she was told.

"Lots of things. Especially when one of my best friends go missing." Gaia replied to George.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you angry at me?" George asked his voice so innocent and his apology sincere.<br>"I'm not angry." Gaia said reassuringly kissing George on the forehead. "But I do need to get my friends back. So where do you hide the monsters then?" Gaia asked.

George shimmied himself off of his bed and stood up beside Gaia, who had also now got to her feet. He grabbed a hold of Gaia's outstretched hand and led her to the wardrobe. With his tiny hand trembling he turned the key and opened the door. "In here." He said as the door swung open and in that instant they were no longer in George's room, they were in the doll's house.

When Gaia finally felt the ground beneath her feet, she also felt arm around her waist. Opening her eyes she saw the Doctor looking a back at her. "Whoa..." The Doctor said, clutching her close as she swayed a little. "Alright?" He asked. Gaia nodded in response, not breaking eye contact. They both seemed to get lost in each others eyes, both blinded by each other to notice the gaining peg dolls. It took George's terrified shout to break Gaia out of her trance.  
>"George!" She called and went to go and get him from the surrounding peg dolls, but the Doctor grabbed her around the waist and prevented her from getting there. "Doctor, let go." She yelled battering his arm.<br>"Wait." He whispered in her ear. Alex then shoved past the pair and battled his way through the peg dolls, using a giant pair of scissors to get to George. In front of the 8 year old Tenza Alex dropped to his knees and engulfed him in a hug.  
>"My son." Alex announced.<br>"Dad." George replied, snuggling his head into his Dad's shoulder. Like her arrival in the doll's house Gaia felt the ground move from underneath her feet. When she finally broke from her disorientated state she found herself back in George's room, George beside her.

A few hours later, Claire, Alex's wife, walked through the front door of her flat. "Hi." She called and looked up in amazement to see 2 strangers sitting on her counter tops, laughing with George and Alex. "Er...who?" She asked, gesturing at the strangers.  
>"The sent someone. About George. It's all sorted." Alex replied with an affectionate grin towards his son.<p>

Gaia watched the interaction between the family with a smile. She loved happy endings, with Torchwood it rarely happened that everyone got their happy ending. "Yeah, we had a great time, didn't we?" The Doctor announced happily.  
>"Yeah!" George replied, taking another bite of his bread and butter.<br>"See he's fine." The Doctor stated as if it were obvious.  
>"What? Just like that?" Claire asked shocked.<br>"Yeah, we're good at what we do." Gaia said before the Doctor could reply. Claire smiled at the duo, overjoyed that they'd managed to help her son.

A little while later, Gaia and the Doctor left the flat, letting the family enjoy their own company. "Wait!" A voice called behind them. They both whirled around to see Alex running towards them.  
>"Sorry, yes. Bye." The Doctor said shaking Alex's hand.<br>"You can't just... I mean..." Alex stuttered, unsure what he wants to say.  
>"It's all sorted, Alex. George is fine. He just needed his Dad is all." Gaia assured with a smile.<br>"What, that's it?" Alex asked.  
>"Well apart from making sure he eats his greens and getting him into a good school, yes." The Doctor replied, now grabbing Gaia's hand and started to pull her away. He knew from previous experiences with older Gaia that she could talk for England and in fact the Earth.<br>"But is he going to... I don't know; sprout another head or three eyes or something?" Alex asked in all seriousness. Gaia chuckled at the poor human man.  
>"He'll be fine. He'll adapt perfectly now." Gaia assured and the Doctor pulled her around the corner.<p>

Alex turned to George, who had stepped out just before the Doctor pulled Gaia around the corner. "Strange couple they are." He said and George nodded in response.  
>"Kippers are getting cold!" Claire called from inside and both boys went in to the flat, the old western movie `To the Last Man` being heard for the TV.<p>

Walking outside and back to the Tardis, the Doctor and Gaia met Amy and Rory at the stone wall next to the park. "Come on, you two. Things to do, people to see, whole civilisations to save." The Doctor said, still having a hold of Gaia's hand, although neither parties seemed to mind. Amy and Rory followed the pair into the Tardis.

"Now did someone mention something about planets and history and stuff? Where do you want to go?" The Doctor asked. He was now running around the Tardis console flicking switches and pressing buttons.  
>"Er... Doctor I've actually got a favour to ask." Gaia said before either human could reply.<br>"Ask away." The Doctor announced now leaning on the console giving Gaia his full attention.  
>"Could you give me a lift back to Cardiff? I would take this thing..." Gaia held up the Vortex Manipulator. "... but it doesn't do the best of landings." The Doctors expression dropped a little, he had forgotten that this was a younger Gaia, a Gaia who still had to get back to Jack on Earth.<br>"Right, yes." He said, rather dejectedly and began inputting the coordinates for Cardiff. He then had a thought. "Firstly though, let's sort out where we are." He announced and turned back to face Gaia.  
>"Okay..." Gaia said, not quite sure what he was getting at.<br>"When was the last time, before today, that you saw Amy?" The Doctor asked. Amy and Rory looked confused at the Doctor.  
>"Er... the Byzantium with River." Gaia recalled. Amy couldn't help but gasp. That was almost a year ago for her. "I'm guessing that... wait I don't know what I'm getting from that. Why are you so shocked?" Gaia asked slightly worried.<br>"That was a year ago." Amy exclaimed.  
>"Oh, it was a while back for me too. I was well kinda... busy." Gaia said sheepishly trying to skirt around the 18 months she had been kept prisoner by the Master.<p>

The Doctor sighed; this Gaia was much too young. Resigned he pulled the final lever on the console and initiated the Tardis flight sequence for Cardiff. The Tardis being the clever living being she was changed her flight for the right year, she always got her thief where he needed to be.

"Wait, that's means you've never met me." Rory realised, none of the 3 passengers had realised the Tardis was in flight yet.  
>"No. Hi, I'm Gaia." She said stretching out her hand. Rory shook it slightly dazed.<br>"Rory." He said and before any further conversation could ensue they were all thrown to the ground as the Tardis made its passengers know she was in flight.

The Tardis landed with a thump and the Doctor was at the monitor in an instant. "There we go, Cardiff early 2008." He said. Gaia stood up and brushed herself down.  
>"Guess this is my stop. Nice meeting Rory and nice seeing you again Amy." She said and turned to the Doctor.<br>"I'll walk you out." He said before she could say her goodbye. Taking Gaia's hand he walked out the Tardis door and onto the Plass where the Tardis had parked herself.

"I guess this is goodbye." Gaia said quietly. The Doctor didn't reply but captured her lips in a kiss. Gaia's eyes fluttered shut as she let the Doctor's kiss over take her. The kiss was by no means one sided and it was a battle for dominance at time, but when their lips finally parted both were equally swollen and both people were equally breathless. "Hmm, that's my second time of saying goodbye to you this way." Gaia commented with a smile. She stole another quick kiss from the Doctor before turning around and walking away. She also made the effort to point a rude hand gesture at the CCTV camera following her.

The Doctor's smile came crashing down as Gaia walked away. "My last." He whispered and turned to go into the Tardis. Inside he found it empty; Amy and Rory must have gone to bed. He set the Tardis into a deep undisturbed part of space and sat himself down on the leather seat. Pulling his ring out of his pocket, he admired it with affection. Rolling the gold band beneath his fingers he missed seeing its twin on the hand of his wife. A woman he doubted he'd be lucky to see again, well not without her trying to kill him. And that wasn't a figure of speech.


	14. To The Last Man

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: I'm really falling behind on writing these chapters, revision sucks. I've only got 3 weeks left of school though, woo. Thanks for the reviews people, they mean a lot. **

"You know it's not very nice to spy on someone." Gaia said as she walked into the hub, scaring the living daylights of the Torchwood team.  
>"How in the hell did you get in?" Owen shocked to see Gaia come from the depth of the Torchwood tunnels that, to his knowledge, had no means of exit to the outside world other than through the hub.<br>"What you think there're only 2 entrances into here, shame on you!" Gaia said with a wink and shed her coat off, chucking it onto the sofa.  
>"You're late." Jack's voice emanated from above. Gaia looked up to see him leaning against the railings on the walkway above their heads.<br>"Well strictly that wasn't my fault." Gaia retorted sitting herself down on the sofa and resting her legs on the coffee table. Jack rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs to everyone else.

"So who was he then?" Gwen asked facing Gaia.  
>"Who was who?" Gaia replied feigning innocence.<br>"The rather cute guy you said a rather romantic goodbye too." Gwen added a smile on her face. Gaia blushed.  
>"Er... just an old friend." Gaia replied. She was met with a sceptical glare. "What?" She asked.<br>"Old friend?" Jack commented his arms cross and eyebrows raised. Toshiko brought the CCTV up onto the monitor so Jack could see. "No!" He exclaimed recognising the blue box. Gaia hid her face in her hands.  
>"What, who is it?" Toshiko asked turning to face Jack. Jack didn't reply instantly but turned to look at Gaia who still had her head buried in her hands. "He's the Doctor." Jack replied with a smirk. This was going to be her punishment for being 2 days late and leaving them in an almost apocalyptic state, again.<p>

"What? As in your Doctor?" Gwen asked incredulously. Jack nodded his gaze still on Gaia, who was muttering several obscenities in various different languages under her breath. Gwen's eyebrows rose at Jack's response. "I always assumed he'd be older." She commented studying the CCTV footage- as was everyone else.  
>"He's older than he looks and he's changed since I last saw him, he looks even younger than before." Jack noticed watching the CCTV Tosh had now put on loop.<br>"Changed, changed how?" Tosh asked. To everyone's surprise it was Gaia who answered this time.  
>"When a Timelord body dies they regenerate. Meaning well, every single cell in their body changes into new healthy cells, so they look like a completely different person, with a completely different personality. The only thing that remains with them is their memories. The Doctor that Jack saw and will no doubt see again is the 10th incarnation of the Doctor and that one..." Gaia pointed at the monitor. "...is the 11th." She explained. Everyone nodded in understanding, but it seemed to have piqued Owen's interest.<br>"So his cells just changed into new ones, just like that. Reset hay flick limits, new proteins, new everything?" Owen asked. Gaia nodded. "Wow. What I wouldn't do to get my hands on those." Owen commented and received a very `not impressed` look from Gaia and Jack.  
>"Anyway, as fun as discussing my love life has been, I can see that the date today is the 20th, Tosh is wearing a dress and a body's been called up from the cryo-freezer. I'm guessing Tommy will be making his annual return to the land of the living." Gaia stated. Tosh's blush confirmed her observations.<p>

Within the hour everyone was gathered around the med bay as Owen began the final preparations to wake Tommy up. "Right everybody ready?" Owen asked hypodermic needle ready in hand, every nodded in response. Tosh was standing next to the unconscious and defrosted Tommy. Ianto was standing at the top of the stairs and Jack was next to him leaning on the railings. Gaia was standing at Tosh's side, ready to help when Tommy kicks up a fuss like he does every year.

Owen injected the blue liquid into Tommy's neck and placed his fingers on Tommy's neck trying to find a pulse. There's bated breath as nothing happens and the heart monitor remains flat lined. "Come on Tommy." Owen muttered but when nothing happens he grabbed the defibrillator paddles. "Charging 200, clear!" He yells and zaps Tommy on the chest. No change. "Charging 360, clear!" Owen zaps Tommy again and this time Tommy's eyes fly open and the heart monitor picks up a beat. Gaia is instantly at Tommy's side trying to calm him down, although Tommy's having none of it.  
>"Get off me, leave me alone." Tommy struggled.<br>"Tommy!" Toshiko said trying to stop his struggles. Tommy doesn't seem to hear her.  
>"Leave me alone!" Tommy continued.<br>"Tommy!" Gaia this time shouted, Tommy stops instantly. Everyone takes a sigh of relief as Tommy stops struggling as his eyes flicker around the room.  
>"Toshiko." Tommy says in recognition. Tosh nods.<br>"Do you know where you are?" She asks. Tommy sits up with a little help from Gaia.  
>"Torchwood." Tommy answers.<br>"That's right. How are you feeling?" Tosh asks.  
>"I could murder a cuppa." Tommy replies and everyone chuckles. Tosh turns to Ianto who is chuckling as well, he then realises what Tommy had said and darts off to get him a drink.<p>

A little while later, everyone's split off into their own separate areas. Owen, Tosh and Tommy are in med bay going through Tommy's usual wake up health checks, Ianto's tidying up breakfast from the conference room and Gaia, Jack and Gwen are in Jack's office, the 2 former explaining Tommy to the latter.  
>"St Telio's hospital, 1918. There was a time-shift. A fracture in the rift means that two slices of time were erupting into each other." Jack explained.<br>"A slice of 1918, and..." Gwen asks, looking between her bosses.  
>"A slice of the future. But we don't know exactly what slice. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a hundred years' time." Gaia explained. Gwen nodded.<br>"What will happen?" She asked.  
>"Chunks of 1918 will start to appear at the hospital. A few at first, then more and more. When the time-shift is complete, it'll start a chain reaction. Unless we stop it, time-shifts will start happening all over the country, then all over the world." Jack said and opens a cupboard on the far wall of his office. Inside is a canister and he hands it to Gwen. She looks at him sceptically before reading out the label.<br>"`Eyes-only document. FAO Torchwood, commander overseeing case 1918 TB.` Tommy Brockless?" Jack nodded at Gwen's deduction and Gwen tried to open the canister.  
>"It won't open." Gaia began. "It's a temporal lock tied with the rift frequencies at the hospital. When the rift nears completion, the box will open and we'll find out exactly what Tommy's here for." Gaia finished and Gwen handed the canister back to Jack.<br>"But why keep us in the dark?" She asked the duo. Gaia shrugged in response.  
>"I guess we'll find that out, too." Jack answered.<p>

This was when Tommy and Tosh walked in, the former now in 21st century clothing. "Ta-da." Tosh exclaimed.  
>"Seriously, what do you think?" Tommy asked seemingly unsure of his attire.<br>"Very nice." Gaia assured.  
>"You look like a film star." Gwen added.<br>"Who? Charlie Chaplin?" Tommy joked. Tosh pulls Tommy out.  
>"Come on." She says and they both leave for a day out.<p>

Gaia was now sitting on her own in the hub, Owen was done in the med bay, Ianto and Gwen were looking through the old Torchwood archives and Jack was in his office. Gaia was currently finishing off some designs for an Artificial intelligence device she'd plan to install in the hub later on. It was looking pretty good at the moment. What she really fancied though was a cup of tea. "Owen..." She called drawing his name out.  
>"What?" Owen replied, his tone not happy.<br>"Can you make me a cup of tea please?" She asked in a sickenly sweet voice. Owen rolled his eyes.  
>"Make one yourself." He retorted. Gaia knew that was the response she would get, so she tried a different tactic. She spoke what she wanted in the oldest language on Earth. In an instant Owen was up the stairs. "I'll make you a cup a tea if you want." Owen offered his tone unusually cheerful for him.<br>"That'd be lovely, than you Owen." Gaia replied and Owen disappeared down the corridor, heading off to make Gaia a cup of tea.

Walking out of the archive room Gwen and Ianto spotted Owen carrying a mug full of tea, but they both noted he was using Gaia's mug. "You do realise Gaia's going to be peed that you're using her mug." Gwen commented as they walked back with Owen back to the hub.  
>"It's her tea." Owen replied casually as if he did this kind of thing regularly.<br>"You made Gaia a cup of tea?" Ianto asked incredulously. He had known Owen long enough that he wouldn't do anything for anyone unless it benefitted him... well except his job.  
>"Yep." Owen replied and walked away from the shocked Gwen and Ianto. He placed the tea on Gaia's desk.<br>"Thank you sweetie." Gaia replied in a motherly tone and Owen went back to his work in the med bay. Gaia didn't notice the shocked looks of Ianto and Gwen; she just continued finishing the final designs on her plans.

"Gaia what did you do to Owen?" Gwen asked her eyes flickering between Gaia's mug of tea and the med bay where Owen was now working. Gaia didn't flinch at Gwen's question, she just kept on working.  
>"I don't know what you're talking about." Gaia replied, brushing the rubber shavings off of the page. Gwen gaped at her for a second before snapping out of it.<br>"You know what, I don't really care. I'm going to check out that hospital." Gwen announced and left. Ianto still stood shocked a little staring at Gaia's tea, he didn't even know Owen could make tea. Shaking his head a little Ianto turned and left, heading back to the archives.

Once Ianto had left Gaia took a sigh in relief; that was close. "I thought we agreed you weren't allowed to do that anymore." A voice said from behind Gaia.  
>"Did we, I can't remember making that agreement. Are you sure we weren't drunk at the time?" Gaia replied not turning to face the voice, which she knew was Jack.<br>"No we were sober. If I recall it was you who started the agreement." Jack commented sitting next to Gaia's desk so that he was in her eye line.  
>"Alright I'm sorry I won't do it again." Gaia sighed, her voice not conveying anything genuine.<br>"It's not me you need to apologise too." Jack said. Gaia dropped her pencil and looked up at him.  
>"Your starting to sound like a older brother now and plus Owen doesn't even remember." Gaia whined, Jack responded with the raising of his eyebrow. Gaia rolled her eyes. "Fine." She stated somewhat like a whiney child.<p>

"Owen..." She called and once again he appeared at the top of the stairs.  
>"You know I do actually have to work." He said, Gaia rolled her eyes and proceeded to speak in the ancient long lost language. Owen's eyes seem to glaze over as she said it, but as the last word left her lips, Owen's eyes refocused. "Did you say something?" He asked slightly confused. Both Gaia and Jack shook their heads. "Right." Owen muttered and headed back down to the med bay, confused why he had come up in the first place.<p>

"You never actually explained to me how that works." Jack commented watching Owen retreat back to his clinical lair.  
>"And I'm not planning to." Gaia replied, working on the designs again. Jack chuckled, he had seen that coming.<br>"What..." Jack began to ask but what cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. Gaia watched as he went over and answered it and had a bad feeling when she sees his face drop. "That was Gwen." He explains once he's off the phone. "She's seen ghosts." Jack explained.

Within the half hour Jack and Gaia were at the hospital with Gwen. "They're knocking down the hospital." Jack observed.  
>"Yeah, that's what they said. Could that have triggered the time-shift?" Gwen asked. They were standing on one of the old empty wards, Gwen at one end and Jack at the other. Gaia was leaning against the wall in the middle, her stomach doing flips.<br>"Could have. Maybe all the psychic trauma and rift energy charged it up like a battery. 1918, this place was full of wounded soldiers." Jack stated, starting to walk over to Gwen.  
>"Whatever's happening here it's not reacting well with me?" Gaia said and tried to walk out. She staggered a lot and Jack had to end up supporting her.<br>"They had 4 years of it." Jack continued. "Passchendaele, the Somme... A million British soldiers killed during the Great War. It was like walking into hell." Gwen looked at Jack slightly sceptically, although she had the courtesy to grimace when Jack said the suspected death count. "Believe me. I was there." Jack said replying to Gwen's sceptical look. "Owen any luck?" Jack asked through his comm.

Gaia staggered down the empty hospital corridor on her own, Jack and Gwen had gone the other way after much encouragement on her part that she was okay. So now she was looking around this side of the hospital on her own. The place was derelict there was no doubts about it and the building made her feel queasy. No doubt due to the rift energy. Although, it was silent now something you rarely found in Cardiff. She was at the back end of the large building, the furthest from the road and Gwen and Jack were too far for even her hearing to pick up. There was no sound, no one and nothing to make any. So what really freaked Gaia out was the fact that she could hear voices.

"Tick tock goes the clock,  
>And all the years they fly<br>Tick tock and all too soon  
>You and I must die." A voice chanted. Gaia turned the corner to see a boy no older than 18 sitting in a wheel chair. He had a bandage over his eye and judging by his attire, he was also out of his time. He looked up at Gaia, his one eye looking slightly deranged and wild, but he continued singing.<br>"Tick tock goes the clock,  
>We laughed at fate and mourned her<br>Tick tock goes the clock  
>Even for the Doctor..." He continued, Gaia held her breath as she approached the boy and his gaze seem to follow her. Gaia opened her mouth to talk but before she could a nurse appeared and pushed the boy away. They faded into oblivion and Gaia promptly threw up. Wiping her mouth Gaia contacted Jack on her comm. "I'm going back to the SUV." She stated, not giving Jack the option to say otherwise.<br>"Yeah, we'll meet you there." Jack replied his voice sounding uncertain.

Gaia met Jack and Gwen back at the SUV. "Everything alright?"Gaia asked, her voice slightly croaky and dry.  
>"Err... yeah." Gwen replied and looked up at Gaia. Gaia was leaning heavily on the SUV; she was pale white and has a slight sheen of sweat on her face. "Bloody hell, are you alright?" Gwen asked, her previous concerns about the ghosts at the back of her mind as she helped Gaia get into the SUV.<br>"Yeah. My body doesn't like the end of the world apparently. Who knew?" Gaia joked, her chuckle caused her to splutter though and she was gasping for breath within the second. Gwen sat next to her in the SUV and Gaia leant on her shoulder. Jack jumped into the driver's seat and floored it back to the hub.

Half way back to the hub Gaia's breath became laboured and she fell unconscious. "Jack!" Gwen exclaimed. Jack risked a glance over his shoulder to see Gaia's limp body. With an even higher sense of urgency he sped the SUV to its max.

Gwen and Jack walked into the hub, the latter carrying the unconscious and incredibly pale Gaia bridal style. "Owen!" Gwen shouted and in an instant Owen was at Jack's side checking Gaia's vitals.  
>"Quick put her down on the table." Owen ordered as they entered the med bay. Jack slowly placed Gaia down and her head lolled to the side, a trail of blood started to come from her ear. "Bloody hell." Owen exclaimed as he checked for a pulse. Satisfied he found one, he checked her eyelids. "What happened?" He asked. To be honest he had very little idea what he was doing he had never had a serious problem with Gaia before and he hadn't got round to reading or asking about her biology yet.<br>"It's a reaction to the rift openings in the hospital. We probably can't do anything to help her, but we need her stabilised." Jack ordered, of course he was worried about Gaia, but freaking out would be more than a hindrance than a help at this moment in time.  
>"Okay, her heart rate is rocketing, but I don't know her usual heart rate so that's very little help. Ummm... her pupils are fine, although she suffering from dehydration so I'll just hook her up to a drip." Owen said to himself, doing each action he specified as he said it.<p>

He continued in this manner for the next 20 minutes, until Gaia was hooked up to several machines and had been injected with 2 different drugs. Thankfully she had stabilised and Owen had given her a large sedative so she could sleep. Jack took a sigh of relief when Owen finally stepped out of the medical bay and discarded his rubber gloves. "I have run every possible test I can think of and that we can do. I can't find what's wrong with her or what's causing her body to shut down." Owen said as he collapsed into the chair next to Jack's.  
>"Thank you Owen." Jack said with a sigh. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "Well we know whatever is going to happen at the hospital is going to happen now. Gaia's been to the hospital lots of times and has never reacted like that." Jack stated and Owen nodded in agreement. "We just need to know how." Jack continued. Ianto then walked out of Jack's office canister in hand.<br>"Jack, the canister's opened." The Welshman called. Jack was on his feet in an instant and bounded up the stairs Ianto, Gwen and Owen were not far behind.

Jack opened the canister and pulled out the delicate paper contents. "What does it say?" Gwen asked. Jack flicked his way quickly through the papers before stopping suddenly at the final image. He held it up to the others.  
>"It's now." He stated as he held the picture of Toshiko up.<p>

Within the hour Tosh and Tommy were back at the hub, Gaia was still in a stable condition but with no signs of improvement and the team were gathered in the conference room. "In twelve hours, there'll be a brief moment when both times exist, before the time-shift completes, when Tommy can be here now, and in 1918. He needs to be in the hospital, ready to step from one time to another." Jack explained to the others.  
>"So he'd be right inside the time-shift?" Gwen asked and Jack nodded.<br>"And he can close the fracture that caused it."  
>"And when the fracture's closed?" Tommy asked a hint of hopefulness in his voice.<br>"1918 will be back where it belongs." Owen stated.  
>"So will I." Tommy conceded, realising the evitable. Jack nodded solemnly at the boy. "For good?" Tommy asked. Jack sighed.<br>"Yeah. You're the only one who can do this. We brought you from 1918 to now, and when you go back to 1918, your life will be like a thread, stitching time back together again." Jack explained and Tommy nodded his head, understanding the concept but not liking it.  
>"A stitch in time." He joked.<br>"How?" Toshiko asked not needing to say anything more than the single word for Jack to know what she was implying.  
>"This is a rift manipulator." Jack said holding up a circular object. "It's basically a key. Once you're inside the time-shift, you can close the door behind you." Jack continued.<br>"And that's it? I'm gone?" Tommy said dejectedly. No one said anything and an awkward silence fell over the group.

Thankfully Ianto walked in and broke it. The Welshman was carrying a rather large box in his hands which he gently put down on the table. "Tommy, stay with Ianto. Tosh, with me," Jack ordered and like clockwork his commands were seen through.

Tosh and Jack were now standing in Jack's office. Toshiko looking as frail and innocent as the first time she stepped into the hub after her release from prison. "What happens to him?" Toshiko asked.  
>"Three weeks after we send Tommy back he's sent back to the front lines. 5 days out there and he went over the top, they didn't recover a body, he was presumed dead." Jack said sadly.<br>"So there's a chance he may have escaped?" Toshiko asked, although she had a feeling she already knew the answer to that.  
>"1000's of soldiers in the British Army died with their bodies never being recovered, it was a battlefield. To recover the bodies that were in the middle of No Man's Land would have been an act of suicide." Jack replied his eyes slightly glazed as he relived the memory. "He didn't escape Tosh; if he did he would have been shot by the British Army, never mind the German, for cowardice." Jack finished.<br>"We can't send him back to that." Tosh stated as if it were obvious.  
>"We have to."<br>"I can't do that."  
>"Yes, you can. He trusts you." Jack said, he didn't particularly like the plan himself but it had to be done. Toshiko then had an idea.<br>"Gaia, she can travel in time. Can't we just go back at get him once he's done it?" She asked hopefully. Jack shook his head. He hadn't thought of that, trust Toshiko to come up with a plan. He may not have thought of it, but he could see the flaw.  
>"And then what? He would be a different Tommy for the one now. When he goes back to 1918 he'll be the same person who left, a shell-shocked boy trying to recover from the Mother of all Wars." Jack stated diminishing Tosh's hope of a second plan.<br>"So we have to send him to his death." Toshiko said it was a statement not a question. Jack sighed and nodded.  
>"Yes, to help him save the future." Jack replied, hating the words as they left his mouth. He sounded like a general, sending his soldier to war and in this case... he was.<p>

Tommy went back with Tosh that evening, their last and first night together, a bittersweet night for them both. Everyone went home not long after Tosh's and Tommy's departure, Owen left last after checking Gaia's vitals and giving Jack strict instructions on what to do. Jack nodded taking it all in, before he wished the medic goodnight and sat himself in the chair next to Gaia. He took her hand off the bed and rubbed it with his finger, wishing that she would react to his touch.

Jack loved Gaia, there was no denying that, but it was a sibling love, they had known each other far to long for it to be anything different. He had been there with her for 100's off events in her life. Obviously there had been periods where they hadn't seen each other in a long time, well on Gaia's part anyway, Gaia was 2 billion years old and Jack wasn't even close to reaching that. He may not have been there all the time but he had been at the important times. He had been the only off-worlder to attend Gaia's wedding to her husband, he had held Gaia's daughter Luna when she was only 3 days old. He had taken her to her first bar, seen her the first time drunk and taken her for her first off Starnet trip. He had been there for it all, just like any ordinary older brother would.

Gaia had also been good for Jack too. After loosing Grey he had gone mad with grief, he had become reckless with no sense of responsibility just hopping from bar to bar each night drinking his way into oblivion. But Gaia had changed that, she became his responsibility, she gave him something to do, the curiosity to look around other planets rather the inside of their bars and she became the little sister he'd never had. She had helped him out of a very dark place, but seeing her now, so weak less and a little chance of survival...

"Please, wake up." He whispered kissing her hand. "You're too stubborn to let something like this stop you, so please... wake up." Jack pleaded his first tear rolling down his cheek. That was another thing Gaia did for him, she made him vulnerable.

At six in the morning Jack was awoken to a loud and constant noise. Rubbing his face groggily his eyes refocused to his surroundings. He had fallen asleep at Gaia's side. He whined at the annoying sound and looked around to see what it was; his eyes widened at his findings- one of Gaia's heart had gone into arrest.

Jack immediately started to perform CPR on Gaia's chest trying to get the heart restarted. Unfortunately he wasn't having much luck. 10 minutes later Jack was still doing compressions when Owen ran in and to his aid. They acknowledged one another with a nod and Owen prepared a syringe for injection. "She's been stable all night, what could have caused her to suddenly change?" Jack said desperately as he pushed rather violently on Gaia's chest.  
>"I don't know at the moment." Owen replied he was slightly preoccupied at that moment in time. With a final check he proceeded to inject the syringe into Gaia' chest. The loud bleeping of the heart monitor returned as soon as the fluid had entered her body, although it was bleeping at a much slower rate than the other two.<br>"What was that?" Jack asked as he collapsed back in the chair out of exhaustion.  
>"Adrenaline, straight to the heart." Owen said chucking the empty syringe in the biohazard bin. He then went around checking Gaia's other vitals.<br>"Thank you." Jack said softly his gaze on the now peaceful Gaia, but Owen knew the words were meant for him.  
>"It's my job." Owen stated and put down Gaia's paperwork to look up at Jack. "Her conditions worsening, adrenaline might not work next time." Owen explained. Jack let out a sigh in distress.<br>"Her life's tied to the Earth. If Tommy doesn't succeed today it's not only the end of the world, it's the end of Gaia." Jack said. He stood up and gave Gaia's cheek a final caress before leaving the medic bay. "Better get started then." Jack said and got to work.

3 hours later Tommy was back in his own time and the Torchwood team could only hope with bated breath that he had used the rift manipulator. Judging by the readings on the monitor, it wasn't looking good. The white rift energy that had built up around the hospital was spreading; it was over half the city now. The other sign was the fact that 2 out of Gaia's 3 hearts had failed and her remaining was getting weaker by the second. "Come on Tommy." Jack muttered under his breath, praying for a miracle right about now. Everyone was behind him staring at the monitor with the same desperate plea. And then he got the shock of his life.  
>"Err, guys what's going on?" A voice said behind them. They all turned around to see Gaia standing there.<p>

*30 Seconds Previously*

Gaia's eyes cracked open. She was in the med bay. Why was she there? She slowly sat up and looked around. She was currently hooked up to several machines and an IV. She didn't recall falling ill, so why was she here? Pulling the needle out and ripping off the patches, she clambered off the uncomfortable medical bed and made her way up the stairs. She had no wobble in her step; she was in fighting fit condition. She reached the top of the stairs to see everyone looking at the monitor in desperation, Tommy wasn't in sight. "Err, guys, what's going on?" Gaia asked. The sound of her voice caused everyone to jump and spin around.  
>"Gaia!" Owen yelped in shock.<br>"Er, yeah. Who else would it be?" She replied confused.  
>"You were unconscious and... How are you okay?" Gwen spluttered, shocked to see Gaia look healthy and up on her feet.<br>"Got me. I don't really remember much." Gaia admitted.

The team then proceeded to explain what happened to her and what had happened whilst she was unconscious. Gaia was shocked to here of Tommy's sacrifice and Tosh's in a sense. Gaia knew that Tosh had a thing for him. Jack hadn't said anything in this conversation as of yet and Gaia was concerned by his silence. So as soon as she could she excused herself from the others and dragged Jack up to his office. He was still in a somewhat dazed state.

Gaia shut Jack's office door and turned back around to face Jack. Before she could react Jack had pulled her into a bear hug, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Don't you ever do that again." He said desperately. Gaia chuckled softly at Jack, yet she was incredibly touched that she meant that much to him.  
>"I wasn't planning to." She replied her sarcasm evident.<br>"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Jack murmured. Gaia heard the truth in his words and couldn't help the welling in her eyes. She knew Jack cared for her, they were practically siblings, but for him to actually say it... now that was special.  
>"I don't know what I'd do without you, you big idiot." Gaia replied and Jack chuckled, although he knew the sentiment behind it. The both held each other a little longer before pulling away and wiping their eyes. "Look at us." Gaia commented, laughing a little at the irony of their situation.<br>"We've finally let are ages get to our heads." Jack joked his eyes were still red rimmed but the tears stopped.  
>"Hmmm..." Gaia replied smiling and then a thought struck her. "So I was unconscious, yet again, while you saved the world...again." She stated a hint of humour in her voice. Jack laughed at her quite use to her random outbursts.<br>"Looks like it." He replied. Gaia rolled her eyes, a smile on her face.


	15. Meeting Shakespeare & Adam

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: 2 weeks and counting until the end of school, woo! Thank you for all the alerts/ reviews/ favourites so far, it means a lot. **

Gaia was annoyed now; one near death experience and she had become Torchwood's cotton wool kid. It had started out as little things, people willing to fetch stuff for her, Owen being less argumentative when Gaia asked him something. At first Gaia through everyone was just being nice, but it became apparent that they were being over protective when a weevil hunt came up.

_"Weevil attack on Chace Street." Tosh yelled from her work station and Jack bounded out his office.  
>"Suit up kids." He said almost happily, it had been the first bit of action in weeks. Gaia grabbed her gun and placed it in her holster. She then began to make her way to the rolling door and was stopped by Jack. "Where are you going?" He asked, in a tone that made Gaia feel like a misbehaving child.<br>"Weevil hunt." Gaia said with raised eyebrows as if it were obvious.  
>"No you're not. There isn't enough room in the SUV for all of us." Jack stated. Gaia looked at him in a mixture of anger and confusion.<br>"So, that's never been a problem before." Gaia retorted.  
>"Err..." Jack began but Tosh cut him off.<br>"Report of second attack." Tosh said reading the live news feed on her monitor. Jack let out a deep breath.  
>"We're on it." He called to Tosh before turning back to Gaia. "Just stay here." He said, his older brother tone coming into play. He kissed her on the forehead and ran out to Owen and Ianto who were waiting in the SUV. Gaia was not impressed. <em>

That incident had been the first in many, now a days Jack seemed to say no to her more than any other word in the universe and it was driving her up the wall. He seemed to forget that she wasn't a child, nor was she the age that they all perceived her to be. She was much, much older than all of them and had done and seen things most of them could only imagine. What right did any of them have to try and control her in this way? It was moments like these at Torchwood that she craved a holiday.

Hence when she received a text from who she knew to be River, she jumped at the chance to leave. The text contained a set of coordinates and Gaia quickly programmed them into her vortex manipulator. She was just about to leave when her thoughts drifted to the team. She was still annoyed with them but she should really give them a warning, she may be gone a while, the coordinates she got were never accurate. So she scribbled down a note that read: "Gone Out X" and left in a crack of light.

Jack had been feeling slightly guilty about treating Gaia like a child as of late, but they'd had come so close to loosing her (and in his case, again) that he didn't want to even risk her getting hurt. But he had to remember that Gaia was far from a child, she knew everyone of the team even more than he did and no doubt themselves did. She was clever, dead cold genius most of the time and she would have figured out easily what he was doing to her and by default the team as well. She deserved an explanation. So Jack left the confines of his office and made his way to Gaia's. He didn't bother knock before entering, he had never knocked before and was shocked to see Gaia disappear in a crackle of light before his eyes. He huffed and walked over to her desk. He spotted the note she written. "Gone Out X." He thinks he deserves a little more than that.

Gaia landed in with a jolt, yet managed to remain on her feet. She closed her eyes as her head span and took a deep breath to calm her stomach. "Well that was nice." She joked to herself, her eyes still closed.  
>"I can imagine." A familiar voice said behind her. Gaia's eyes opened with a start and she turned to face the voice. Standing at the end of the alleyway that Gaia had landed in, was River Song. She was wearing a dress, which caused Gaia's eyebrows to raise. It had a bodice on the upper half, which was adorned with green and black fabric and the bottom half fell to her ankles and had black lace along its bottom. "Hello Sweetie." She said happily.<br>"Hey, nice dress." Gaia replied and walked over to the other woman. River smiled and kissed Gaia on the cheek much to Gaia's surprise and grabbed her hand.  
>"Thank you and I have someone I'd like you to meet." River said and pulled Gaia along by the hand. Gaia couldn't help but smile at River; River's smile was contagious and Gaia had seen a warmth in River's eyes that showed Gaia that she was older than the River from their previous meeting. That meant this River was a bit confident than her younger self and Gaia had to admit she found that slightly attractive.<p>

Being dragged along by River, Gaia had a look at her surroundings. She was on Earth that was easy enough, she could feel her planet around her and at a guess she'd say she was in 15th Century London. She hadn't been here, well to this time period, before. Hence she couldn't help but notice the terrible smell. River caught her expression of disgust and laughed. "Oh sweetie, believe me it gets worse." River commented and Gaia blushed at the fact River had caught her expression.

River pulled Gaia through the winding streets of medieval London. She finally stopped at the 3 Witches Inn and pulled the other woman inside. She was greeted by the barmaid, Tam. "River! Back so soon?" Tam asked as she poured a gentleman a pint of ale.  
>"Yeah." River replied with a smile. Her hand was still interlocked with Gaia's.<br>"Back to see Will no doubt and who's your friend?" Tam asked, nodding her head towards Gaia.  
>"This is Gaia." River introduced.<br>"Hi." Gaia said with a small wave.  
>"Oh this is Gaia." Tam exclaimed a knowing smile on her face. River rolled her eyes whilst Gaia looked worriedly between River and a grinning Tam.<br>"What do you mean _this is Gaia_?" She asked slightly self-conscious. Tam chuckled at Gaia's discomfort.  
>"Don't worry love." She replied to Gaia and then turned to River. "Will's in his room if you want to see him." Tam replied. River nodded.<br>"Thanks Tam." She replied and led the still worried Gaia up the stairs.  
>"What did she mean <em>this is Gaia<em>?" Gaia asked River. River chuckled.  
>"Spoilers sweetie." She replied and the pair approached the wooden door at the top of the stairs.<p>

Inside the room was a certain William Shakespeare sitting head in hands at his desk. He looked up as River and Gaia entered. "River Song back already I see." He said a sly grin on his face.  
>"The answers still no Will." River replied. "No matter how much I would like too." She added with a wink. Will laughed.<br>"You can't blame a man for trying." He shrugged. Gaia then stepped from behind River. Will's expression instantly changed.  
>"Gaia, it has been so long." Will said, getting to his feet and kissing Gaia's hand.<br>"You've met?" River asked with raised eyebrows, she was sure she had come earlier than last time Gaia had taken her.  
>"We've met?" Gaia reiterated to Will. Will realised his mistake.<br>"Ah, you are younger than when we met. You did it explain it to me once, but it was many years ago on my part." Will explained and both time travellers nodded in understanding. It seemed they could do nothing linear.

The trio sat down around Will's desk and discussed his current work. He was current writing The Winter's Tale and was intrigued at Gaia's and River's view on his work. Gaia was a big fan of Shakespeare, she was also incredibly proud. His work was even read and appreciated on Starnet, several galaxies from Earth and she felt like a proud mother. She had created the human race and they created masterpieces such as Shakespeare, she couldn't help but feel proud. Their conversation though was stopped with a piecing scream.

In an instant River and Gaia had run back downstairs to the bar, Will not far behind. The scream had come from a young woman, whose hair was slightly singed and skin blackened from smoke. "Fire!" She yelled frantically. The Inn's customers looked at the woman in shock, all their drinks stopped halfway to their lips. Then chaos ensued.  
>"What's going on?" Will asked as he ran down the stairs behind River and Gaia to see the chaotic bar.<br>The shrill of the soot-covered woman screaming "Fire" not only explained to Will what the commotion was, but fuelled the chaos also.

River and Gaia watched the scene unfold, both with little means to do anything to stop the panicking customers. Tam on the other hand wasn't having any of it. Climbing onto the bar she got everyone's attention with the bar bell.  
>"Alright, now that I've got everyone's attention, I'm telling you to calm down!" She said her voice firm but not raised or angry. The crowd instantly quietened down and returned to their seats, their gazes still on Tam. "Thank You." Tam said with a sigh in relief, she then jumped off the bar and approached the now hyperventilating woman. "Deep breaths." She encouraged and led the woman over to a chair. "Now what happened?" She asked. The woman was still very shaky and through her deep gasping breaths she told her tale.<br>"Farriner's Bakery, on Pudding Lane there was, is... Fire!" She gasped through ragged breaths. River and Gaia looked at each other worriedly. Nodding her head towards the door, River gestured towards outside. Gaia nodded and the pair weaved their way through the gathered crowd to the street, Will opted to stay at the Inn.

"I've heard of a fire in Pudding Lane." River noted as they watched the smoke drift into the sky in the distance. They were now outside and alone after walking a few streets down from the Inn.  
>"Yes, it's the Fire of London. But it doesn't happen for almost another 600 years." Gaia explained rattling her brains for an explanation.<br>"Could it be another fire?" River asked, her degree was in archaeology yes, but Gaia knew more about Earth history than anyone in the universe.  
>"No, there's no recorded detail of a major fire in London before 1666." Gaia replied. She was now pacing up and down the path, River watching as she thought. "A fire in this time period is devastating; the entire city will be up in flames in a matter of hours if the source isn't dowsed." Gaia continued and River blanched at the information. "This isn't meant to happen." Gaia finished. She had now stopped pacing and was playing with the ends of her hair; a habit she did when deep in thought.<br>"So we better find that source then." River stated, having a feeling the gift older Gaia gave her would finally come in useful. Gaia, the younger Gaia, turned to River with a smile on her face.  
>"Yes we better." She said and grabbed the other woman's hand and ran down the street, heading the in the opposite direction to the terrified passers-by.<p>

Gaia and River approached the burning building. Its fire had been partially put out, but the back room of the building would constantly reignite, causing a lot of trouble for the men trying to put it out. "There's something back there." Gaia said a foreign tickle in her mind from the presence of the unknown entity.  
>"Okay, how are we going to get there?" River asked it was obvious they couldn't just run in, the flames would get them before they'd get there. Gaia opened her mouth to reply, before closing it again when she realised she didn't know.<br>"I don't know." She stated and watched the house, analysing it for an entry of sorts.

River looked at Gaia as her eyes flickered over the house. Even this young it seemed Gaia hadn't been that different. River laughed to herself before walking over to one of the men trying to dowse the flames. "Mi' lady you should really stay back." The man said politely as another man ran past carrying a bucket of dirty Thames water.  
>"Sweet." River said, her tone conveying that she wasn't going to listen to the man's advice. "Is there a street behind the house?" She asked. The man looked up at her strangely, as if he was trying to figure out what she was thinking.<br>"Er, yeah Botoloph Lane." The man replied. River smiled.  
>"Tah." She yelled as she ran back to Gaia. "I've got us a route in." She said happily as she grabbed Gaia's hand and started to pull her toward Botoloph Lane. Gaia looked at River confusingly as the words processed in her mind and then she grinned.<br>"Brilliant." She replied and ran alongside River rather than being dragged along.

Approaching the building from the rear Gaia and River had very easy means of access to the back of the building, a burnt down back door. Without conversation or conformation the duo ran in trying to find what was lurking inside.

The instant the women entered the building their faces went flush due to the heat. It was devastatingly hot. River instantly pulled the `gift` the older Gaia had given her and sprayed it on her face in some hope it would cool her down. It didn't work, the water just evaporated upon contact with her skin. "What's that?" Gaia asked.  
>"A water gun." River replied innocently. "Courtesy of you." River continued, her mind slightly addled by the heat to realise that she had revealed a spoiler. Gaia nodded in response and swept her gaze of the half burning room when her eye caught something. Curled up in the corner of the building was a salamander shaped creature, its skin ablaze and eyes orange. River's eye also caught site of the creature. "What is it?" She asked.<br>"It's a Magma beast hatchling from the planet Androzani Minor." Gaia explained studying the creature.  
>"Oh dear." River replied gravely, she had heard of such a creature. Androzani Minor was a predominantly lava covered planet, too hot for most living things, bar the Magma beasts which swam the lava as sea.<br>"Yeah." Gaia stated and then she had an idea. "We need a bucket of water." She told River and without hesitation River ran back to the front of the building and the men with the buckets of Thames water.

Gaia crouched down as River left, firstly to get to the creatures eyelevel and secondly to get a little out of the heat. She watched the creature as it watched her, its golden eyes not daring to blink as it watched her every move. "What are you doing do far from home? Hmm?" Gaia asked the creature although she knew it couldn't reply. The creatures tongue flicked out and licked it nose, its eyes still fixed on Gaia. Gaia shuffled forward and the creature scuttled further into the corner in fear. This caused the wooden wall behind it to blaze a raging inferno. The sheer heat caused Gaia to jump back, her face feeling the full brunt of the heat.

Several seconds later River ran back in bucket in hand and pulled Gaia back to her feet. "Okay, now pass me the water gun." Gaia said. River pulled the small toy gun out of her holster and handed it to Gaia. "I'm going to get it into the middle of the room and you need to get behind it and pour the water over it. You're going to need to completely dowse its flames, because it's not going to be happy that we got it wet and if we don't dowse it completely it'll reignite." Gaia instructed and River nodded getting the bucket ready.  
>"Okay, sounds pretty simple." River admitted.<br>"Ready?" Gaia asked and River nodded. They got into position.

An hour later a slightly charred Gaia and River were standing at the summit of Tengchong, a volcano in China that was due to erupt that year. Their plan had been successful and the creature found its new environment much more homily than its last. "Well that went okay." River said happily, watching the small creature run around happily on the volcano's ashen crust.  
>"Yep, luckily for us." Gaia replied happily, squeezing the other woman's hand. "We were quite lucky it was only a hatchling, a full grown adult would have been a nightmare to handle." Gaia continued and turned to face River, who had a slight glum look on her face. "What's up?" Gaia asked concerned.<br>"This was meant to be a date, a nice quiet day with Shakespeare and then dinner or something." River admitted, her voice quiet and so unlike her. Gaia's hearts fluttered, a date. River Song had taken her on a date...  
>"A date..." Gaia spluttered surprised.<br>"Yeah." River admitted shyly, this was new to her as well, their roles were usually reversed. "It wasn't as quiet as I'd planned it to be." River continued looking down at her feet. Gaia smiled genuinely happy at the other woman and was touched that she had gone through all of this for her.  
>"When did we ever have a quiet day?" Gaia said softly and River shrugged her shoulders. Gaia smiled at River softly and then encircled her arms around the other woman's neck. "And who says we can't still have dinner?" She continued with a cheeky grin. River looked up and beamed at her; then kissed her on the lips.<br>"Did I mention you're amazing?" River asked happily, her arm now around Gaia's waist with Gaia's arms still around her neck.  
>"Not nearly enough." Gaia replied cheekily, echoing the words she had said to Jack on so many occasions. The couple kissed again and disappeared in a crack of electricity, off for their dinner date.<p>

Gaia landed happily back in Cardiff after her dinner with River. River had taken her to the _Pierre D'Carroll, _one of the best restaurants this side of the Acorn Nebula. They had both turned up still slightly charred, but it seemed with River's previous reputation with the restaurant they were given the best table in the house, right by the window, overlooking the planet below. That was probably the best thing about the_ Pierre D'Carroll_, other than its exquisite food, was the fact that it was in orbit around the planet Midnight, a diamond covered planet that's only know resident was the spa resort. Once Gaia had gotten over the amazing view from her seat, she ordered, drank and conversed happily with River. They talked; well they talked about a lot of things. They made sure to keep away from any spoilers, and in River's case that was most of her past and talked about well... stuff. Gaia felt like she had done most of the talking that night, it seemed the elder her hadn't explained much to River about her past or Torchwood in fact and River was asking question after question all with a bubbling curiosity. Gaia couldn't really refuse but to answer all her questions truthfully. It had felt good to get some of it out in the open and off her chest.

And that had been how the evening went. Gaia and River had talked, enjoying one another's company, River's leg had often wondered too high up Gaia's thigh and they both ate amazing food. Gaia would have said it was a good first date, if River had meant what she'd said earlier.

Now Gaia had landed back on the Plass, she had been aiming for her office but once again she had been a little distracted as she had entered the coordinates for the hub. She couldn't help but smile at the memory. She stepped on the pavement slab and sighed in content as it began to lower in the hub. The lift speed was almost painfully slow most days, but now it was nice to move at this pace it gave Gaia time to think. She couldn't help but feel confused at her own and River's relationship. It was obvious that River was crazy for the Doctor, that was clear the last time she'd seen them together, but how did she fit in? Both of them had feelings for her and she couldn't help but admit she had feelings for 11 and River, and she had nothing against polygamy but the Doctor... it just didn't seem his thing.

The lift reached the bottom of the hub and Gaia was instantly drawn out of her day dreaming by the click of several guns. Looking up she was surprised to see the team, bar Jack, gun up and aiming at her. "Okay..." She said confused, not making any gesture of surrender.  
>"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Gwen asked, jutting her gun at Gaia as she spoke.<br>"Er... Gaia and I came in down the lift." Gaia said pointing at the rising stone, returning to its place at the pavement. "Is this a joke or something because you know those things won't work on me, you'd be wasting your bullets." Gaia stated, hands on hips. Toshiko looked confusingly at Gaia.  
>"Why wouldn't they work?" She asked her gun still trained on Gaia. Gaia looked at Tosh in shock and then looked at the others who also looked curious as to her answer.<br>"Never mind." Gaia reconsidered. "Where's Jack?" She asked and the team looked at each other unsure whether to tell her. They all turned to Gwen.  
>"He's out." Gwen replied, more snapped at Gaia. Gaia raised her eyebrows at the team.<br>"Well call him back then on your comm. I would but mine's up there..." Gaia pointed to her office. "...in my office." She finished.  
>"What are you talking about?" Gwen snapped. "That's not your office that's... that's..." But Gwen couldn't answer and her gun faltered.<br>"Someone's really messed you lot up haven't they." Gaia said sympathetically and Gwen instantly whirled back round, her gun trained on Gaia again.  
>"What do you mean someone's messed us up?" Ianto asked, his voice firm and potentially frightening.<br>"You're not acting like yourselves and believe me; of all people, I should know." Gaia replied, turning to face Ianto. Gwen rolled her eyes, clearly not convinced about Gaia.  
>"You know what, sod this. Sit over there." Gwen ordered pointing at the computer chair that Ianto had pushed into the middle. Gaia complied. "Tosh call Jack, let's see what he makes of this. Owen, Ianto keep your gun trained on her, I'm going to check out her so called office." Gwen said and climbed the stairs up to Gaia's office.<p>

Gaia rolled her eyes and leant back in her seat, completely blasé to the fact Owen was still pointing a gun at her. She then noticed a change in the medic. "Owen since when did you wear glasses and well... dress like that?" Gaia stated, shocked that she hadn't noticed the nerdy looking Owen previously.  
>"I, I always dress like this." Owen stuttered, his usually cockiness absent and a scared, timid man standing in its place.<br>"Hm-mm." Gaia replied. If she didn't know that something had happened to the team before, she definitely knew now.

Gaia then noticed Ianto. There was a glint in his eye, a glint of defiance. What ever had happened to them, Ianto, the real Ianto, not this one who was quiet and unobservant, was fighting back. She smiled at Ianto, even though he was pointing the barrel of a gun at her face. He looked at her unsure before slowly lowering his gun a little and Gaia turned absently mindedly back around. Swiverly chairs were always her weakness.

2 minutes later Gwen walked back in, her skin slightly blanched but her gun still in hand.  
>"She's was right. That is her office." Gwen said timidly, she was never a very gracious loser.<br>"What?" Tosh asked shocked. "But why wouldn't we remember that?"  
>"Maybe..." Gwen began. "Maybe it's like me with Rhys..." Gwen tried and Gaia looked at her worriedly.<br>"You forgot Rhys." Gaia said shocked and Gwen nodded.  
>"Yeah, apparently it might have been over exposure to the rift or something. At least that's what Adam said." Gwen replied shrugging her shoulders. Gaia's expression didn't change.<br>"Adam? Who's Adam?" Gaia asked.  
>"I'm Adam." A voice said from the cog door. Gaia whipped around to face the man. She should have known.<p>

Adam walked to wards Gaia. "And who are you?" He asked, trying to lure her in. It wasn't going to work.  
>"Leave now." Gaia stated. Adam raised his eyebrows.<br>"So said the intruder." He retorted, Gaia snorted and rolled her eyes.  
>"You are a pest you know that." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Now, I'm giving you the choice. Leave, never come back and wipe yourself from these people's minds or I will." Gaia ordered.<br>"Hey now." Gwen began, not liking what Gaia was implying but she was quickly cut off by the woman in question.  
>"Not now Gwen." Gaia snapped and Gwen was stunned and slightly scared into silence.<p>

Adam laughed. "And just who do you think you are to ask me to just leave?" He said incredulously. This is when Jack walked in.  
>"Gaia!" He said happily and ran over to give the woman a hug; Gaia quickly returned the hug before turning back to Adam, who now looked quite scared.<br>"You're Gaia, as in The Gaia?" He asked his face pale and slightly sweaty.  
>"The one and only." Gaia replied, a slight smirk. Adam gulped.<p>

Jack looked worriedly between the pair. "What's going on here?" He asked. Gaia answered his question with a question of her own.  
>"Jack, how did you recruit Adam?" She asked. Jack looked at her strangely for a second trying to figure out what she was playing at, but then reluctantly answered.<br>"Er... weevil hunt. He helped me capture it." Jack said not going to much detail.  
>"Okay, now give the details of that hunt, where were you? What time of year? You know the little bits that you always remember." Gaia persisted. Jack thought about, usually he had a pretty good memory, especially when it came down to details, but meeting Adam... he came up with a blank. And no, that wasn't an innuendo.<br>"I...I..." Jack stuttered, before looking at the nervous Adam. Gaia then turned to Gwen.  
>"What about you? When did you first meet Adam?" She asked. Gwen thought about it too.<br>"Err... I walked in and he said `and who's this` and we joked about." Gwen replied, her voice getting more unsure as she told her tale.  
>"Details?" Gaia asked, but Gwen shook her head not able to come up with any. Gaia then turned to face the whole team. "All of you think of the first time you met Adam. Now, bar the actual first conversation etcetera, what do you actually remember of that day?" Gaia asked and all them shook their heads, coming up with nothing.<p>

Gaia then rounded back to Adam. "So once again Adam, I'm telling you to leave." She spat angrily. Adam then freaked out.  
>"But, I don't want to. Why should I have too? Why am I not allowed to exist? I don't want to go back there, to the black, the nothingness. Why should I be made to go back there when there's so much to feed on here?" He argued and now Gaia was fuming.<br>"Why Adam... you want to know why? It's because you manipulate people. You change them, their personalities, their likes, their dislikes. You change what it means to be them. You're a monster and a pest." Gaia took a breath. "I'm so old now. I probably would have had more sympathy in my younger years. But now... Goodbye Adam." She spat and out of her lips once again came that beautiful language, the language that put any Earth human in a daze. She told the team to forget, to sit and sleep. And as she spoke her will was done.

Adam yelled in pain as the Torchwood members fell to the floor in sleep, their memories purged of him. Gaia ignored the creature and turned to Jack. His eyes were steel and still directed at Adam. He had made no move to comfort the thing. He turned to Gaia and gave a quick nod of his head. Gaia smiled softly at him and then whacked her forehead on his. Jack instantly slumped to the ground unconscious and Gaia stumbled back a few steps, slightly dazed and disorientated. Adam faded into nothingness.

Gathering her bearings Gaia looked around at the sleeping Torchwood team. It seemed she be doing the clear up of this investigation single handily. Adam may be gone, but evidence of him being here would still remain and she had to clear it up. So heading over to the monitor she began to wipe to the CCTV of the last 48 hours; that was only the beginning of many tasks.

Exactly 3 hours after Adam's departure Gaia teleported herself to the top of the Plass. Now was the time to put her ingenious plan into action. She stepped on the lift and it slowly descended into the hub. At its bottom everyone was scratching their heads trying to recall what had happened in the last 48 hours. "I'm back." Gaia called happily as the lift reached the bottom. Everyone rounded to look at her.  
>"Gaia, you're back." Jack said incredulously. Gaia snorted.<br>"I know, I just said that." She joked and Jack rolled his eyes. "Why do you all look so tired? Not to mention the bed head." Gaia laughed, indicating at Owen whose previously gelled geeky side parting hair was now up at several random angles. Gaia was now beginning to wonder if her plan had actually worked.  
>"We seemed to have lost the last 48 hours." Tosh said to Jack as she looked at her monitor.<br>"Okay... Gaia when did you get back?" Jack asked.  
>"About 2 minutes ago." Gaia lied and Jack nodded.<br>"Okay..." Jack then went to rabbit commands at the others as they fruitlessly tried to re-gather the last 48 hours of their lives. Gaia sat there amused, her plan had worked.


	16. King and Country

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: I HAVE A JOB! WOO! But... unfortunately that means I'll have slightly less time to write, but meh. I also finish school on friday, woo! **

"Okay guys, we're all done here." Jack stated to the team. They had just come to the close of a rather disgusting investigation, well mentally disgusting. It was these types of cases that Gaia was ashamed of the human race. Sex trafficking alien aphrodisiacs that caused human users to well... pleasure themselves into oblivion, wasn't exactly an achievement for her human creations. But thankfully, as per usual, Torchwood had stopped the trafficking and was left with the clean up.

Jack took charge in these incidences, he was much better at it then Gaia. So, like the clean up to every other case, Jack dished out duties. "Owen, gather all the people outside and have them take a retcon pill. Gwen, go and get the SUV and get the safe box out. Ianto, collect the remaining aphrodisiacs and put them in the safe box. And Tosh, we're going to need fake alibis for all of them." Jack instructed and everyone got to work, bar Tosh who seemed a little dazed. "Tosh." Jack called, wondering if Tosh had been listening. Tosh shook her head.  
>"Right... yes, alibis." She muttered and walked to the SUV with Gwen to get out her laptop. Jack rolled his eyes at Tosh's retreating figure and went to help Ianto.<p>

Gaia on the other hand stood there a soft sympathetic smile on her face. Gaia had noticed a change in Tosh, ever since Tommy had left. She had become much more quiet and subdued than normal. Tosh was a quiet girl anyway, but her eyes would empty sometimes, her mind going adrift and Gaia knew it was because she was thinking about a certain soldier. Gaia had had this suspicion for quite some time, even before leaving to see River she had noticed Tosh's some what changed behaviour and after seeing the CCTV footage of the manipulated Tosh and Adam together, it had only confirmed it. Tosh's mind, although manipulated, had used Adam as a replacement for Tommy. It had been almost heartbreaking for Gaia to realise that; it seemed all Tosh wanted was to be loved and Gaia was going to make it happen.

Later that evening back at the Hub, after everyone had gone home and Jack was far off in the land of nod, Gaia sat in her office looking through old war documents and memoirs trying to find the exact place where Tommy went to his apparent death. It was proving harder than she first expected. The First World War was fought on so many fronts, on so many battle fields that it was incredibly hard to find any detailed or accurate reports or accounts of where they were. Yes, she did have the memoirs, but they weren't the originals; they were the government edited watershed ones, the originals had been rewritten and destroyed in the matter of apparent national security. She was almost at wits end, she had no idea where he was or when he `died`. She couldn't exactly go wondering around the no man's land in every battle field in France looking for him. She wouldn't be able to withstand being there that long. All that death, all of them before their time... her body certainly wouldn't be able to take that.

Gaia flopped back in her chair in defeat; she was at a loss on what to do now. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose; she relished the sound of silence in her office it was a nice reprieve from her day to day life. Gaia let herself be immersed into the silence, let its stillness wash over her and she could feel herself start to drift of into sleep.

BUZZ!

Gaia's phone went off causing her to jump up in shock. Her hearts were racing; she could feel the triple staccato rhythm drumming against her rib cage. Taking a few deep breaths, she grabbed the offending buzzing item off her desk and opened the text from the unknown number. Reading it her brow knotted in confusion.

_"Look under the paper work idiot." _

Gaia gave a quick darting look around her office before gingerly lifting the mass of paperwork off her desk. Amazingly, lying underneath it was a small leather bound diary. Gaia picked it up and examined its cover. It was worn and battered, the page edges were ruffled and sticking out quite a bit at the books edge, not to mention the books spine that was verging on non-existent. Gaia's hand then buzzed once again and she opened another text from the same unknown number.

_"Read it!"_

Gaia shrugged and placed her phone back on her desk. She then sat down once again and opened the book. She gasped as she read the messy handwriting. It was Tommy's. Not having the patients to read the whole thing, she flicked, gently, to Tommy's final entry.

"**7th June 1918, it's getting harder now. The war, it's... I don't know what it is. When you're up there, firing at God-knows-what, all rhyme and reasoning escapes you. You just shoot; knowing that if you don't you'll be shot yourself. What do you call that? I guess some would call it patriotism, King and Country and all that, but honestly... none of that matters anymore. I guess it's just an excuse, something we tell ourselves to make it alright, to make the mindless killing okay. Yeah, as I said, it's getting harder. **

**We're helping the Americans now, we're at Belleau Wood. The German's have over run the original US occupiers and it's our job to take it back. They say it should be easy, that we're attacking the Germans when they're at their weakest, but... you can hear them, the artillery fire, wave after wave of men screaming as they fall to the ground. I don't know a single man whose gone up and returned for briefing the next morning. I'm going over tomorrow. I'd like to say I'm not scared, that I'm not in fact quaking in my boots, but my Mother had brought me up too well to lie. **

**I guess this will be my last time to say it, well write it at least. My dreams. The dream I have every night even in this God-forsaken place, my dream of another time, decades in the future where I'm in love with a beautiful girl. She's not British, I know that; I don't know where she's from, but that doesn't seem to matter when I'm there, with her. Now though, it's funny, there's a part of me that misses her and I don't even know if she's real.**

** If she is real and she's some angel up in heaven waiting, then I'm coming soon and really can't wait to meet her." **

Gaia was crying as she read Tommy's last entry. She was crying not only at the horrible truth of Tommy's ordeal, but the fact that a part of Tommy, however small, still loved Toshiko. That meant he was still in there, the Tommy that had been frozen for the last century, the Tommy who saved the world. Thankfully Tommy's diary told her everything she needed. With the knowledge that Tommy's final station was at Belleau Wood, she could check the role call of those trenches and get a more accurate area of where Tommy might have been. Tear trails still glistening on her cheeks, Gaia got to work, burying her head in the mass of paperwork.

An hour later, after checking and double checking everything was correct Gaia started to programme the coordinates into her manipulator. He hands were shaking as she slowly entered each digit in. She closed her eye and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She then gave her office a final once over, before she slammed her hand down on the manipulator and disappeared in a crackle of electricity.

For once Gaia landed on her feet and for once she wish she hadn't. She had teleported directly into the middle of no man's land and had become a target as soon as she appeared. Although not physically painful, Gaia could feel the ripple of the disintegrating bullets as they neared her skin, so like every other man on the field- she dropped. Lying on her stomach she started to crawl across the wasteland trying to find Tommy. She didn't really have much to go on; she mainly had her sight and recognition of the young man. She had slightly numbed some of her planetary senses in preparation for the onslaught she'd feel on a battlefield. Even doing this though, she could feel her body start to weaken from the deaths.

"Tommy!" She yelled out in a vain hope of finding the boy. Not only was her voice just above a whisper, but she was hopelessly drowned out by the artillery fire and the explosions. Her limbs were getting heavier by the second, not just through pure exhaustion of her body's reaction to human death, but because of the tar like mud that congealed on the skin and clothing. Her vision became tunnelled as she seemed to either not notice or simply blank the bodies of other dead soldiers around her, most of them only boys. Now all she could think about was finding Tommy and getting the poor boy out of there.

But at some point she stopped, her body too weak to continue and her head lolled, falling into the mud. "Tommy." She slurred, trying vainly to call out to the boy, but it was of little use. Her eyes drifted shut and her world went dark.

Tommy sucked in a breath as he waited at the base of the ladder. There were several other men behind him, all with the knowledge of what their own fates would be and all of them looking terrified with the burden of their horrid foreknowledge. Tommy clutched the ladder rung tightly, wishing that he'd wake and be back at home in Wales. But it seemed fate wasn't kind and Tommy was abruptly snapped out of his day dream by the sound of a piecing whistle, signalling them to begin their ascent over the top.

Tommy's whole being seemed to slow down as he climbed each rung of the ladder. It seemed the gap between each rung was giant, like he was child trying to get up the stairs. It seemed his metaphor was accurate, he was just a child, they all were, all of them fighting in a war that seemed never ending. When Tommy's feet finally reached the soil of no man's land, he kept his head down and ran. He ran towards the spluttering machine guns, the point accurate assassins and the young men like himself, fighting for a well rehearsed lie, but instead of King and Country, it was in the name of Deutschland.

Tommy dived as bullets seemed to skim his helmet, any longer running and he'd be a dead man. He could hear the strangled sobs and cries of his companions, their deaths apparently not blessed with being quick and instant. They didn't dive and avoid the gun fire like Tommy, their wailing of unimaginable pain the evidence of that. Tommy tried to calm his laboured breath; he was firm in not looking back. If he looked backed, he would never move forward and the truth was that there was nothing he could do for them now. He didn't have to the bullets to spare to put them out of their misery.

Using his elbows and legs, he crawled across the wasteland, manoeuvring from the shadow of a mound to the crater of an explosion. He could feel the adrenaline running through his veins, his fight and flight reaction begging him to run and never look back. He couldn't though, he couldn't run. If he did, those men, his friends, they would have died in vein and he may not be able to save them now, but like hell was he going to avenge them.

That was when he saw her. Her tangled hair encrusted with mud, her clothes soggy and unrecognisable under its thick grey coating and her face, so impossibly calm and serene. It was a woman unconscious in the middle of a man's war. Tommy positioned himself next to woman and heaved her up on to his back. She didn't stir. He then began his long crawl back to the trench.

Every muscle in Tommy's body was against him as he finally flopped back into the allied trench. He gave the remaining soldiers a shock that's for sure. "What in the ruddy hell are you doing back?" One of them asked, shocked that Tommy had managed to return to the trench without being shot. Gasping for breath, Tommy pointed at the woman he had pulled out of the firing line.  
>"Good God, a woman. Quick get her inside." Another soldier said and between them they lifted the unconscious woman into the barracks. Tommy slowly and shakily followed them in, wanting to see that his effort to save the woman hadn't been in vain.<p>

They laid the woman on one of the cots, they weren't overly bothered by the fact that she was caked in wet mud, everything was in the barracks. Tommy slumped down on the end of the bed out of exhaustion as the soldiers left having to get back to their duties. One soldier remained, he was American that much Tommy could tell and he also had a feeling that he should know the man, but his name seemed to escape him. The American soldier looked genuinely shocked at the woman, the look on his face conveying that he was surprised she even existed. "Thank you." The American said in relief, not turning to face Tommy. Tommy nodded and watched as the soldier caressed the woman's face.  
>"Do you know her?" Tommy asked after taking a drink of water from his canteen. The soldier nodded.<br>"Yes, I have no idea how she got herself here though." The American replied. Tommy didn't reply; that was a question playing on his own mind.

The woman seemed to stir and Tommy could hear the American take in a deep breath. Painfully slow the woman's eyes fluttered open and a small smile fell on her face. "Hello Jack." She sighed softly.

The first time Gaia felt her body again, she could tell she was no longer on the battlefield. She was lying on her back and she could feel someone's hand on her face. Gathering as much strength as she could muster she pried her eyes open and was greeted by the fuzzy outline of none other than Captain Jack Harkness. "Hello Jack." She managed to whisper and was met with a very watery smile from Jack.  
>"Hello Princess." Jack replied just as soft.<br>"You haven't called me Princess in centuries." Gaia replied softly letting her eyes drift back closed. It took her a second to realise what she had just said and her eyes reopened wide with a start and she sat up in the bed. "And this isn't the hub." She stated. She looked back at Jack, who had a very confused look on his face.  
>"Hub? What's the hub?" He asked. Gaia looked at Jack in shock.<br>"It's, it's..." She began but then shook her head. It was then she noticed the third person in the room. "Tommy!" She said happily.  
>"How do you know who I am?" Tommy replied scared. In an instant Gaia had pieced it together and she turned back to face Jack.<br>"You lied to her." Gaia accused, pointing a figure at him.  
>"Who did I lie to?" Jack spluttered shocked.<br>"Toshiko." Gaia replied slightly angry.  
>"Who's Toshiko?" Jack asked confused.<p>

Gaia's mouth formed an O shape as she realised she gotten her tenses confused. "Right, 1918. Okay, better start at the beginning..." Gaia sighed. "I'm not your Gaia." She began and Jack interrupted her.  
>"Not my Gaia, then who are you?" Jack argued taking a step away from her.<br>"No, I am Gaia, just not yours in a linearly sense. I'm a future Gaia, who's been with a future version of you." Gaia explained. Jack nodded and relaxed a little. He had been a time agent long enough to know that time wasn't a straight line as most people believed.  
>"Okay so how do you know him?" Jack asked nodding to Tommy. Tommy's eyes widened akin to a deer in a headlight.<br>"About 3 weeks ago Tommy was taken by an organisation called Torchwood. They froze him in their cryo-freezers and every year for the last, no next century they awaken him to check he is still working. In my time, quite a way in the future, there were these rips in time and we had to send Tommy through them. His life of being in the cryo-freezer became like a thread and he stitched the rips closed. Tommy was returned to his own time with no memory of his heroism and was sent to the front lines, which is right here, right now." Gaia explained.

Jack's eyebrows had progressively raised as Gaia had told her tale, as unbelievable as it sounded, with the life that he had had it did seem possible. He didn't remark anything to Gaia but turned to the man in question to see his reaction. Tommy was sat at the end of the cot, his skin even more pale than when he had arrived. Tommy so wanted to call the woman a liar, say that what she was saying was impossible, but... he couldn't. A part of him knew it to be true, a part of him knew that he had memories missing, what they truly were though were a mystery to him.

"Tommy, are you alright?" Gaia asked softly seeing the conflicting emotions play across Tommy's face.  
>"I... I don't know." Tommy stuttered. "I mean everything you just said... it's impossible. But, there's a part of me that knows it's true and, and I don't know why." Tommy continued. Gaia gave the soldier a soft smile.<br>"I know, it just means somewhere in there is those memories, some where deep in your subconscious." Gaia explained.  
>"Oh..." Tommy said, his tone sounding slightly defeated. "Is there any way of getting them back?" He asked softly. Gaia nodded.<br>"Yes, there is." Gaia began. Tommy looked up at her in shock.  
>"There's a `but` isn't there." He stated it wasn't a question. Gaia smile sympathetically at the soldier, Tommy never missed a trick.<br>"But I would need to get them." Gaia finished and was met by a sceptical glare from Tommy.  
>"How? How could you possible get in my head?" Tommy argued he was starting to feel like he was being made a fool of.<br>"Tommy calm down. I wouldn't need to go in your head." Gaia answered and Tommy seemed to relax a little at her words. "I... well it's not overly important what I need to do, but the real question is do you want me to do it?"

Tommy looked up at the woman, who only a few minutes ago had been unconscious and on no doubt at death's door. She was offering him a whole other life, a life that seemed impossible, but... maybe she was there- the woman from his dreams. Maybe that's where he had seen her, maybe... but Tommy stopped his train of thought there. It was always a maybe, never a definite.

"Would I still be me?" He asked her. Gaia nodded as she ran through the principle in her head.  
>"Yes, you'll still have all the memories of now, but you'll have extra's as it were of Torchwood." Gaia explained, but what Tommy said next shocked her.<br>"I don't want to be me." He stated, he sounded tired and defeated.  
>"Okay..." Gaia replied confused.<br>"I don't though, I... why would I want to remember this?" Tommy stated defending his decision and as if to back him up an explosion from outside shook the small room they were in.  
>"Tommy are you sure? Experiences good and bad in our lives define us, are you sure you really want to forget?" Gaia asked. Tommy sighed and looked at Gaia with a tired glint in his eye.<br>"If you were in my position, would you want to forget?" Tommy said. Gaia looked down, her mind racing to her last day on Starnet. Those screams, her baby girl dead in her arms... oh how she wished she could forget and quite often she had begged for it. No, if Tommy didn't want to remember the atrocities he had faced here then Gaia was going to let him, it was the least she could do.

"Okay, if you're sure." Gaia replied and Tommy nodded his head. "Close your eyes, it'll be easier." Gaia ordered and Tommy did as he was told. Jack, who had been crouched beside Gaia, took a few steps back slightly worried at what Gaia was going to. What he didn't expect was for Gaia to start speaking a strange and beautiful language. It seemed to have little effect on him, but for Tommy... his hands which had been shaking in nerves- stopped; his previous posture of being slightly bent over out of fear was replaced with a straight back and broad shoulders. Whatever Gaia was telling Tommy, it was clearly changing him.

As the last words left Gaia lips, Tommy's entire posture slipped a little, his shoulders now sagging a little. Slowly he opened his eyes and he blinked to allow his eyes to adjust to the light. "Gaia." The Soldier said his voice much more soft than it had been previously. His whole persona seemed to be softer as he was apparently no longer a man hardened by the cruelty of war.

"Hello Tommy." Gaia replied with a slightly watery smile. She had done it. Tommy squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light.  
>"This isn't the hub." Tommy noted and Gaia chuckled at his observation. "What?" Tommy asked confused.<br>"Don't worry and no, this isn't the hub. We do need to get back there though." Gaia said and revealed the vortex manipulator on her wrist. Jack looked at her in shock.  
>"How did you get one of those?" He asked incredulously.<br>"Spoilers." Gaia chimed, her mind instantly jumping to River as she said it.  
>"Spoilers?" Jack questioned.<br>"I can't tell you, it's your future." Gaia replied.  
>"Oh... so no chance of a lift then." Jack said dishevelled. Gaia shook her head.<br>"I'm sorry, it's a no Jack. There's a you there already." Gaia replied with a weak smile. She then turned back to Tommy. "Come on, we need to be getting back." She said and got to her feet, pulling Tommy with her.  
>"Wait, what is that?" Tommy asked at the same time Jack asked:<br>"What am I meant to do?" Gaia decided to answer Tommy's question later, she answered Jack's instead.  
>"You'll think of something." She said with a wink, she then grabbed Tommy's hand and they disappeared in a crackle of light.<p>

Jack was left, in the barracks of a World War 1 trench, on his own. Outside he could hear the heavy artillery fire resume, it almost seemed the entire battlefield had came to a halt as Gaia spoke that alien tongue, but now it was to normal... well as normal as war got. To him these wars were history lessons, to actually be living it was horrid, even for an immortal such as himself. The soldiers who carried Gaia in had too much to think about at the moment, if asked he'll just deny it ever happened. Thankfully there was only few months left of this war; Armistice Day was soon approaching, although no one knew that but him. He was looking forward to the parties, the joy of the allied countries and the escape of not being shot and returning from the dead near on everyday. The 21 year gap would be a nice reprieve, plus he had seeing Gaia again to look forward too. He'd missed her so much and with the knowledge he'd see her again... yeah, that was enough to get him through the next century at least.

Gaia and Tommy landed in Torchwood with a jolt. Gaia now slightly use to the form of travel managed to stay on her feet, Tommy on the other hand fell right into Gaia, knocking them both to the floor. Tommy groaned as he collided with the hard flooring, as did Gaia. "That was horrid." He exclaimed, clutching his head.  
>"You get use to it." Gaia admitted. "Although young men falling on you, not so much." Gaia finished and forever the gentlemen, Tommy was up in an instant helping Gaia to her feet. Gaia thanked Tommy and looked at her surroundings.<br>"Where are we?" Tommy asked, looking at the room. It had the same sort of design as the hub, but he didn't recognise the room.  
>"We're in my office." Gaia explained. "In the hub." She added. Tommy nodded.<br>"I don't think I've ever been in here. I've been here a century, so that must be an achievement." Tommy said and Gaia chuckled, now checking the time and date on her computer monitor.  
>"Well, not people get to come in here to be quite honest." Gaia replied, watching Tommy in the corner of her eye as he looked around her office. Tommy looked fascinated at the assortment of alien objects Gaia had scattered around her office. Picking up one of the stranger objects, he started to fiddle with what he presumed to be a moving piece. It wasn't and it broke in 2. Sheepishly he placed the object down and turned around, slightly red faced, to an amused Gaia.<p>

"Come on." Gaia said happily, amused at the sight of a World War 1 veteran, still in uniform, breaking a piece of alien recycling. Gaia opened her door and walked out into the main hub, Tommy of her tail. "It's still an hour or 2 before the others arrive for work. You must be hungry." Gaia explained as she headed towards the kitchen.  
>"God yes, I'm starving. It feels like I haven't eaten a proper meal in months." Tommy joked as he went to raid the fridge. Gaia smiled at his comment although her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Tommy probably didn't realise the truth of his words.<p>

Gaia walked over to the coffee machine and set herself a brew; she couldn't help but anticipate the moment Tosh returned to the hub. First though, there was the slight issue with Tommy's attire.

At exactly 8 am, the same time she arrived at the hub every morning, Tosh walked through the large rolling door of the hub. Unsurprisingly she found the place deserted, it wasn't uncommon for her to be the first in. Sitting down at her workstation she began to flick through the night's news reports, dismissing any `normal` ones and highlighting ones that she may need to look further into. It was then she heard a laugh, a laugh of a man who couldn't be here. Stopping her typing on the keyboard she listened to see if the laughter would come again. It did.

Now on her feet Tosh made her way down the corridor towards the kitchen. The smell of coffee and sugar hung in the corridor, signally someone or people had been drinking quite a bit of the stuff. Peaking her head around the door, she gasped at who she saw.

"Tommy!"


	17. Reset

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: Yes I'm still alive! ;) I'm sorry for the lack of update over the last 2 weeks, from either leaving school, exams and other rubbish I've only just got round to finishing this chapter. But now with nothing else to do and my muse for this fic returned updates should become much more regular. Also, I've reach page 100 on MS Word for this fic, woo! :) My longest fic to date! :) **

Gaia leant casually on the quay railings, listening to the sound of the waves against the sea wall. It was incredibly relaxing standing out in the moonlight, whilst the city was winding down for the night… but that wasn't the reason Gaia was out on the quay. The reason she was out in the evening air was slowing approaching her at this very moment, trying and failing to go unheard.

"Hello Martha." Gaia said cheerfully, not taking her eyes off the sea. There was the sound of a slight whine from behind her and then the sound of more prominent footsteps as Martha came up and stood at her side.  
>"Do you ever get surprised?" Martha asked, her gaze now also over the sea in front of them.<br>"Nope." Gaia replied popping her `P` and turning to face the Londoner. Martha also turned to face Gaia with a slight eye roll. Both women ended up laughing and hugging one another.  
>"Oh, it's so good to see you." Martha exclaimed, pulling out of the hug.<br>"And you. Not to shabby though, Miss UNIT Medical Officer." Gaia responded with just as much enthusiasm and warmth. Martha blushed.  
>"Well…" Martha replied shyly, which was weird for Martha. When anyone else mentioned her new job Martha would be proud of it, the only person that had got her embarrassed with modesty was when her mother found out; she was surprised that Gaia seemed to have the same effect on her.<p>

"You know, I guess it was his way of saying thank you." Martha commented, both of them knowing which `his` she was referring to.  
>"You still had to work for it though. Don't be so modest, you earned your job just as much as anyone else, if not more so." Gaia stated looking directly at Martha. Martha nodded shyly, still not quite believing what Gaia was telling her.<p>

Gaia rolled her eyes at the young woman's reluctancy to recognise her own achievements. "Come on." Gaia encouraged, picking up Martha's heavy holdall with ease. "Jack will be over the moon that you're here." Gaia continued and led Martha into the Tourist Board.

Walking through the tourist board, Gaia introduced Martha to Ianto and let the Welshman and Londoner get introduced. Although Gaia didn't mention it at the time, she saw a hint of recognition and slight horror in Martha's eyes as she was introduced to Ianto. She decided to ask Martha about it later.

Now though the pair were walking down the corridor, Martha's eyes darting around at the new environment. "So this place runs underneath most of the city?" Martha asked.  
>"Yep." Gaia replied as she entered an 8 digit code into the panel next to the lift door. "It was built in the old underground system Cardiff use to have. Most of the tunnels go unused now-a-days, except for the occasional game of hide and seek." Gaia continued as she stepped into the lift, Martha right behind her.<br>"No doubt by you and Jack I gather?" Martha joked. Gaia pouted.  
>"Martha I'm shocked that you think that Jack and I get up to childish games in our top secret, state of the art, headquarters." Gaia said, mocking shock and disbelief.<br>"It is you though?" Martha continued, unfazed by Gaia's sarcasm.  
>"Yeah…" Gaia replied and both women bursted out in laughter.<p>

As the lift neared the bottom, the women's laughter died down to silence and Martha took a deep breath in anticipation. Gaia gave her a soft smile in understanding; the hub could be slightly overwhelming when stepped into for the first time. When the lift did reach its bottom and the door did finally roll back, the pair found themselves at the centre of the Torchwood team's attention. "Miss Martha Jones." Jack introduced and gave Martha a wink.

"Oh, it good to see you Jack." Martha exclaimed, hugging Jack like she had done Gaia on the quayside.  
>"Owen, Gwen, Ianto… meet Martha." Jack said happily, pointing to each member of Torchwood in turn. Martha smiled at them before she grabbed her kit and bag, heading for the autopsy room.<br>"Uh, just a casual visit or…?" Owen asked, intrigued at Martha's sudden course for `his` autopsy room.  
>"I'm here to complete your post-mortem." Martha answered, getting straight down to business. Owen's eyebrows rose in shock at her answer, before her turn to his bosses for an explanation.<br>"Dr Jones is from UNIT." Jack answered and they all followed Martha over to the autopsy bay.

"Which one's UNIT?" Gwen asked confused as she followed the others over to the autopsy bay.  
>"Intelligence, military…" Gaia began.<br>"Cute red caps." Jack added and everyone rolled their eyes.  
>"…the acceptable face of intelligence- gathering on aliens." Gaia finished and Gwen nodded in understanding.<br>"We're more ad hoc." Jack added. "But better looking." He directed at Martha. Martha profusely ignored him and got on with the autopsy.  
>"I identified a pattern from UNIT's data on sudden deaths. Toxic shock. Nothing to link the victims. Different, ages, sexes, ethnic origins, occupations. But there was a statistically significant in South Wales." Martha explained as she began to examine the body.<br>"Come on Martha, be honest. You just came all this way to see me." Jack joked.  
>"Oi. What am I, invisible?" Gaia stated causing the young medic to chuckle.<br>"Still struggling to conquer your shyness Jack?" Martha commented looking at the bickering pair and Jack laughed.

Owen cleared his throat, trying to get back down to business. "So what about this pattern, then, Dr Jones?" He asked Martha.  
>"They were written off as suicides or accidents." Martha replied and opened the body's right eye lid. "Look. Puncture mark. Hypodermic needle. You'll find his blood stream was pumped full of ammonium hydroxide." Martha continued.<br>"Yeah, bloodstream. That was the thing I was going to do next." Owen muttered, looking at the punctured eye.  
>"Have you checked his medical records?" Martha asked seriously.<br>"Uh, no. I was just about to." Owen spluttered, caught out by the medic several years his junior.  
>"Well, let's give it a go. You never know, Owen, you might learn something." Martha replied with a smile. Gaia burst out laughing.<br>"Oh Martha, I have missed you." She declared, watching Owen bite his tongue from responding.

After trying and failing to find the body's medical records, the group spilt up: Ianto heading back to the tourist board, Owen to finish the autopsy, Gwen to continue to search for the missing medical records and Gaia, Jack and Martha conversing in Jack's office.

"How's the family?" Jack asked Martha, as he leant back in his chair. Gaia was perched on the edge of his desk and Martha in the other seat.  
>"Getting better. They send their love." Martha replied honestly.<br>"Give them mine." Jack replied. "So… end of the world survivors club." Jack continued.  
>"God, I am so glad to see you two." Martha exclaimed. Jack and Gaia smiled, although the latter felt their was something else to that. She had only met Martha the twice, on the moon and at the end of the universe, and while Gaia was close to all her humans it was not usually a mutual friendship.<p>

Coming out of her thoughts Gaia heard Martha reply to Jack's question on looking for a job.  
>"I wasn't. This woman from UNIT rang out of the blue, said I was just what they needed, that I'd come highly recommended by an impeccable source." Martha answered. Jack pointed upwards.<br>"You mean…?"  
>"Well, who else would have done it?" Martha replied. Jack gave a sideways glance at Gaia, who shook her head, denying that she had anything to do with Martha's new found job. Jack then turned back to Martha.<br>"He must have though he owed you a favour. Guess we all do." Jack said thoughtfully. "So, do you think you could get me one of those red caps for personal use? I'm thinking Ianto might look good in it." Jack asked all seriousness out the window. Martha stood up sensing all serious conversation between herself and Jack had ended.  
>"You want uniforms, get your own. Now, am I going to get the guided tour?" Martha asked. Jack stood to attention and saluted, Gaia rolled her eyes.<br>"Yes ma'am, whatever you say, ma'am." Jack barked.  
>"Leave it." Martha waggles her finger.<br>"Unbelievable." Gaia commented and the trio laughed as they left his office.

As Jack pulled ahead in the tour himself and Gaia were giving Martha, Gaia took her chance to ask Martha a few questions. "So how do you know Ianto?" Gaia asked. Martha looked slightly startled at the question, but quickly regained her composure.  
>"I don't know what you're talking about." Martha replied. Gaia raised an eyebrow at the Londoner.<br>"Martha I know when someone's lying, in particular I know when a human's lying. I invented the human impulse to lie, so spill. How do you know our young Welshman?" Gaia commented, stopping Martha from continuing to walk. Martha took a deep shaky breath before replying to Gaia, her voice not as strong as it was.  
>"In the year, I walked through a passage of the Himalayas and he was there, on his own. He was starved and so I stayed with him that night, getting him warm and trying to get some food inside of him, but… he didn't make it through the night." Martha muttered, her mind relieving the horror of cradling the young ill Welshman in the middle of the freezing mountains.<p>

Gaia pulled Martha into hug, letting the girl rest her head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." Gaia muttered softly to Martha. Martha pulled out of the hug and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall.  
>"It doesn't matter. He's okay now, that's what's important." Martha conceded and Gaia nodded. The girls then walked to catch up with Jack, neither of them mentioning the conversation they had just had.<p>

After the tour and a failed artefact demonstration by Owen, Ianto came down and informed the others of another attack, this time with a surviving victim. Within the quarter of the hour Jack, Gaia and Martha were down the hospital.  
>"Yeah, but the doctors said they'd finished with me." Marie, the surviving victim stated as Martha took a blood sample.<br>"We're a bit different." Gaia reassured and Marie visibly calmed considerably as she said that.  
>"We know this is tough on you Marie, but did you recognise the man who attacked you?" Jack asked softly, shocking Gaia a bit. Jack wasn't well known for his empathy.<br>"I already told the police." Marie defended.  
>"We're different from them too." Gaia added.<br>"No, I never seen him before." Marie said answering Jack's question.  
>"Did he say anything in the course of the attack?" Jack asked.<br>"No."  
>"Open wide." Martha instructed and took a swab from Marie's mouth.<br>"Look, he just came towards me with a great big bloody needle didn't he? You know, my dog bit him and I kicked him in the nuts." Marie explained, causing Jack to laugh.  
>"Respect!" He exclaimed causing all of them to smile.<p>

Now gathered around one of the monitors, the team went through all the facts they already knew. "Locally, we've got a murder victim and survivor. Both attacked with hypodermics, both with their medical records wiped." Jack began.  
>"And more cases across the UK. We think the point of the attacks is to destroy evidence of their medical condition." Martha added.<br>"Gwen, Ianto pursue the criminal investigation." Jack ordered.  
>"Okay, what about the medical records? We really need Tosh if you're planning on hacking." Gwen stated. Gaia waved the comment off.<br>"Tosh and Tommy are on a well deserved break, I'll do it." Gaia said and Jack nodded in agreement.  
>"That leaves Martha and Owen to follow up with the medical side." Jack finished and Owen agreed with a slight reluctance. "Do what you have to. We're not dealing with a freak with some needle fetish. This is a conspiracy." Jack stated and everyone nodded getting to work.<p>

Sat at Tosh's workstation, which doubled up as the hub's central computer, Gaia began her search through for the mysteriously deleted medical records. This was until a police report appeared on her screen; there had been another murder, all with the same circumstances as the last. After informing Ianto of it, she quickly got back to work, delving into the list of the data and numbers.

Walking down the corridor a few hours later, after just leaving the kitchen after grabbing herself a quick coffee, Gaia ran into Martha and Gwen. "The attack took place in the woods, so no witnesses, no CCTV." Gwen stated as the trio walked back to the main hub area.  
>"Same as the others." Martha pointed out and they all nodded.<br>"Yes and I just checked for Barry's medical records, they've already been wiped." Gaia explained, her hands cradling the hot cup of coffee.  
>"And the puncture marks on the eyeball was identical to the other victims. I mean, Jack's right. These attacks are no random, they're clinical. Professional. More like assassinations." Martha said.<br>"Except Barry Leonard was a student." Gaia pointed out.  
>"Who'd assassinate a student?" Gwen asked, agreeing with Gaia's hypothesis.<br>"Student Loans Company." Martha answered in all seriousness.  
>"Yeah, I think you've just cracked it." Gaia joked and they all laughed.<p>

Sitting back at the workstation, Gaia watched as Martha and Owen ran out of the hub; apparently Marie had had some sort of seizure. Not long after they left Gwen and Ianto made their leave to go and interview Mike, Barry Leonard's close friend and room mate. That left Gaia and Jack alone in the hub, where the latter had made himself scarce throughout most of the investigation.

Wondering where the Immortal had gone, Gaia left the computer running a long and tedious scan and walked up to his office. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door and was very surprised to find it empty. Furrowing her brow, she left his office and started to head back down the stairs, planning on heading towards the kitchen… that was until she heard the unmistakable sound of her mobile going off.

Bounding back up the stairs, Gaia headed towards her own office and when opening the door, was very surprised to see Jack sitting at her desk, her mobile in hand. "Who's River?" He asked a smile on his face.  
>"No one." Gaia retorted, snatching the phone off of him and putting it in her pocket.<br>"Right… aren't you going to read it then?"  
>"Decidedly not."<br>"Aww, why not? Could it be for the fact that she has kisses next to her name in your contacts?" Gaia ignored Jack's question.  
>"What are you doing in here?" Jack shrugged at Gaia's question. "You're insufferable." Gaia retorted and Jack winked.<p>

With everyone back at the hub, the entire team contravened in the boardroom to collect all the information they had gathered. First up were Owen and Martha as they explained the medic's of the situation. "This, folks, is a molecular model of the drug we found in Marie's blood." Owen began, pointing to the diagram they had up on the large monitor.  
>"She called it Reset." Martha added.<br>"So what does it do?" Ianto asked.  
>"Well, think about when you run, you know, a virus scan through your computer, yeah? The software works its way through the files and when it finds a Trojan or a virus or whatever, identifies it and then it deletes it. That is what this stuff does to the human body. But it's not just viruses. It's harmful bacteria, toxins, even mutant cells, you name it. It's like the body's been turned back to its factory setting." Owen explained, seemingly in awe at the miracle drug.<br>"It's the ultimate magic bullet then. It supersedes anything and everything in the pharmacological armoury." Gaia stated and both medics nodded in agreement.  
>"But that would be the greatest medical discovery in history." Gwen stated.<br>"Exactly. Except, it comes bundled with a lethal alien parasite." Martha explained and changed the monitor onto a picture of the larvae.  
>"Ah, not so good a discovery." Jack commented and Martha nodded as she continued to explain.<br>"The parasite needs a healthy body until it's incubated. So the parasite egg incorporates this magic bullet, which puts everything in the system back to its factory settings."  
>"Reset. Does what it says on the tin. So who runs the Pharm?" Jack asked.<br>"Well, the public image is innocent enough. Private-public partnership between the government and a consortium of pharmaceutical companies. Researching and developing cutting-edge biotechnology." Ianto explained.  
>"Their IT systems are way more advanced than they need to be. Plus they've got seemingly unrestricted security clearance." Gaia continued.<br>"Which would explain the erased medical records." Martha noted and Gaia nodded in agreement.

"Okay, so who run's this outfit?" Jack asked.  
>"Institute director is Dr Aaron Copley." Gwen read and everyone turned to Gaia for her to add more information.<br>"Respected research scientist in biotechnology, studied at Harvard, did some of his research at Cambridge. Not married with no living family, his last job being a Harvard Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and he came to the UK to set up Pharm a few years ago." Gaia told them, searching through her extensive knowledge of the human race.  
>"Hmm, he's kinda handsome, too." Jack added, causing an eye roll out of most Torchwood members. "D'you think he'll like visitors?"<p>

Gaia sat fairly casually next to Jack as they watched Aaron Copley go through the images. "Sorry you've had a wasted journey, Mr and Mrs… Harker." Copley said as he pretended to study the photos.  
>"Harkness." Jack corrected. "And we're not a couple. Also it's Captain, but you can call me Jack."<br>"Gaia. Not Harkness, just Gaia." Copley seemed to ignore Gaia's introduction, although seemed slightly unsettled in his chair as the woman spoke.  
>"Captain?" He began. "Where did you park your boat?" Jack laughed at that, although it's very clearly put on.<br>"I like a man with a sense of humour." Jack stated.  
>"I agree, know any good gags about clinical trials?" Gaia added and again it seemed Copley ignored her.<br>"Well, Jack, none of these faces mean anything to me. And as institute director, I would have met them personally, had they been our trial subjects." Copley stated and Gaia started to fume.  
>"Dr Copley…" Gaia began.<br>"Professor, actually." Copley interrupted, his tone condescending. Gaia stood up and spread out the photos of the last 3 victims.  
>"See, this is a little awkward. Two of these people were murdered. Another died of a parasitic infection of alien origin and one of the victims mentioned your organizations name shortly before she died." Gaia stated, her tone fierce causing Copley to shrink back in his seat slightly.<br>"Alien Origin? That's preposterous." Copley argued, although his argument sounded slightly weaker than before. Owen then takes this moment to interrupt.

"Uh, Professor, when I was writing my MD thesis, your published works on immunology were very helpful, so thank you." Owen stated, giving the man his dues where he deserved it.  
>"I'm glad to be of service." Copley replied, his tone much different now that he was talking to another male. That seemed to infuriate Gaia even more and she was finding it incredibly hard not to rip into his mind and find what the hell was going on here herself.<br>"Now, if there was a drug that could restore the human body back to its factory settings, as it were, you would know about it." Owen continued, snapping Gaia out of her violent thoughts.  
>"You're right, I would. But nothing like that exists." Copley replied, his pokerfaced incredibly lax.<br>"I always despised liars." Gaia stated and Copley's smile vanished as he stood up.  
>"I'm already late for my next appointment." He stated.<br>"You go ahead. We'll have a look around." Jack said also getting to his feet and standing next to Gaia who looked like she was going to strangle the man.  
>"Well, obviously our research suites are classified, so we can't grant you access to those, but we'd be delighted to give you the PR tour." Copley suggested. Jack wasn't buying it.<br>"Normally, Aaron, we go where we like."  
>"Not here, actually. Ask Whitehall. We're fireproof."<br>"Yeah, we had a bad experience with a politician recently. We tend not to list to Whitehall any more." Gaia stated her anger only fuelled at the memory of what the deranged Timelord from Whitehall did to her planet.  
>"Let me get someone to guide you back to your vehicle." Copley said and made a call to security.<p>

Now back at the hub, everyone gathered around Gaia as she attempted to break into the Pharm IT system. After typing several security codes and each one giving the ACCESS DENIED sign on her screen she turns to Jack in semi-defeat.  
>"I can't hack in there, Jack. And if I keep trying with a brute-force approach, they'll know they're under attack." Gaia stated and Jack nodded.<br>"I know, but we still need a way in there." Jack replied, his chin resting on his fingers.  
>"There's always the fact that Pharm are in the market for volunteers." Gaia stated.<br>"Then one of us could go undercover." Gwen realised and turned to Jack.  
>"No, we don't know enough about the workings of that place. Too many things could go wrong." Jack argued, although his argument was lacking any real fire.<br>"Unless you were to put a medic in there. Someone who knew what to look for." Martha added, seeing Gwen's idea.  
>"Yeah, but I can't do it. They know me now don't they." Owen said, not realising what Martha meant.<br>"I know it's hard to believe, Owen, but I wasn't thinking of you." Martha retorted and turned to face Jack and Gaia, the former shaking his head.  
>"No way." Jack argued.<br>"Jack, she's been in worse places and done harder jobs." Gaia said softly. Jack sighed as he thought about it.  
>"Okay." He gave in.<p>

No more than 3 hours later, Martha's undercover operation had ended badly. With her communication contact lenses unresponsive and the Pharm hit man deceased, the Torchwood team took it as their chance to get in. "Gwen, Ianto check out zone A." Jack ordered. "We're going after Martha. Let's go!"

Bursting into the room Jack ordered Copley to put his hand above his head as Owen and Gaia ran the convulsing Martha's side. "What have you done to her?" Jack shouted, his gun pointed at Copley. As Owen noticed the IV, it's Gaia who recognises the parasite manifesting in Martha's body.  
>"It's Reset. The parasite is accelerating in growth." Gaia stated as she scanned Martha's body.<br>"She's survived the larval stage, the only subject ever to do so. Fascinating." Copley begins, his deranged mind spilling out garbage. Cutting Copley off, Gaia turns to Jack.  
>"Jack I can get it out of her, but it involves doing the thing…" Gaia said, not really sure what to call her control of all Earthly beings. Jack looks between her and the frantic Owen who has no real idea what to do.<br>"Do it what you need to." Jack stated and Gaia nodded.

Leaning down next to Martha's ear, Gaia whispered instructions to her in the old and beautiful language only know truly by her. As soon as the last word left her lips, Martha's body stilled. "What did you do?" Owen shouts in disbelief as all the alarms seem to fade. Gaia doesn't reply, but raises her finger signalling him to be quiet. Surprising Owen did just that. Martha's mouth then opened and a swarm of mayflies flew out. They amassed in a giant cloud above everyone's head before dropping to the floor, dead.

There was a moment of silence as everyone's attention returned to Martha who was still on the bed. Leaning back down Gaia whispered more words into the Londoners ear and in an instant Martha gasped for breath, wrapping her shaking arms around Gaia. "I've got you!" Gaia reassured as Martha continued to gasp and pant. Jack was instantly at Gaia's side and helped lift Martha.  
>"Let's get her out of here." He stated and they made there way out, with Owen not far behind, all of them ignoring the shocked Copley as they left.<p>

Now outside, Gaia supported Martha under the arm as she watched Gwen finish destroying the Pharm data base. Ianto was stood a few meters away, his gun pointed at one of the Pharm's physician's head; Jack was behind him rounding up other workers from inside the building.

"I am prescribing rest and recuperation for you madam, and a few days in bed, preferably under my supervision." Owen joked as he gave Martha a quick once over with the medical scanner. Owen didn't understand what Gaia had done in there, nor did he particularly want to know, but whatever she did it had worked and Martha was all clear of any parasites.  
>"Owen, I don't know how to break this to you- I've got a boyfriend." Martha admitted, although her smile hadn't vanished at Owen's shameless flirting.<br>"Yeah, but has he saved your life like I did?" Owen continued, although he knew full well he didn't do much saving.  
>"Um, yes, actually." Martha answered and Owen's grin faltered a little.<p>

Leaving Martha in Owen's capable hands, Gaia walked over to the laptop and took over from Gwen. "Do it." Jack ordered and Gaia began the lock down process. Alarms rang out from inside the facility and personnel came flooding out. Once the lock down was complete Gaia shut the laptop and turned to Jack. "Okay, let's go." He ordered and everyone started towards the SUV. That was until the voice of Copley rang out behind them.

"Did you really think I was going to let you just walk away?" He began his speech directed at Martha. Owen, very heroically, stepped slightly in front of her. If Gaia hadn't been so caught up in the moment of Copley's threat, she would have realised that she should have stepped in front of Martha and not let Owen try and play the hero against a gun and bullet. "You've ruined everything I've worked for." Copley continued his gun still trained on Martha.  
>"Now, let's not be stupid. Okay?" Owen says calmly, amazingly calm for someone being held at gunpoint. Gwen and Jack pull their guns out, both of them trained on Copley. "We're both rational men, scientists." Owen continued as he slowly moved closer to Copley, his intent on disarming the man. "I know you don't want to shoot."<p>

BANG!

Before Owen could take another step, say another word, breathe another breath, Copley had pulled the trigger and the bullet embedded itself into Owen's chest. "NO!" Gaia shouted and instantly Copley curls up in pain, clutching his head. Gaia is instantly at Owen's side, cradling what she knew to be his dying body. Everyone instantly crowded round Gaia and Owen, all of them trying to help, all of them ignoring the groans of pain of the murderer behind them. It's not long until he himself if silent in death.  
>"Owen, stay with me." Jack encouraged and Martha tried to inject adrenaline into Owen's chest. Unfortunately Gaia knew it was already too late and Owen's body falls limp in her arms.<br>"He's dead." Martha stated and no one said a word.

**A/N: Dead Man Walking up next and it has a slight twist. **


	18. Dead Man Walking

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: It's Saturday, although it means I've got work tomorrow it means an update for you lovely people. Thank you so much for all the reviews so far on this story. This chapter ended up being quite long, almost 6,000 words, but meh. Anyway, I hope you like it and as always reviews are much appreciated...**

Gaia lay on the floor, her head and upper-body submerged in a plethora of wires and cables. She was currently installing the AI system into the hub; it was a big job and succeeded in taking her mind off things…

…although, at this moment in time, it was increasingly difficult to forget with Martha's voice booming across the hub. "The time is 21:30. This is Doctor Martha Jones. Autopsy on Owen Harper, Caucasian, age 27. Torchwood officer 565. Time of death witnessed at approximately 20:30. Autopsy begins." It took Gaia a moment to realise that her hands had stopped working and that tears were welling in her eyes. Shaking her head, she wiped the tears using her sleeve and got back to work.

Jack's sudden shouting caused Gaia's ears to prick. With his declaration that no one was to touch Owen until he got back, Gaia heaved herself out of the cables to find out what he was planning. As she stood up Jack ran past her. Opening her mouth to ask what he was up to, she was quickly cut off by him. "Not now." He ordered and left the hub. Gaia raised her eyebrows at his actions; he never spoke to her like that, ever. In her younger days she probably would have chased after the immortal, demanding to know what he was up to. But now it seemed her age had finally caught up with her. So with a sigh and an eye roll she lowered herself under the wires and continued to work.

The other members of Torchwood watched the interaction with shock. Tosh and Tommy had returned only a few hours ago and were currently huddled up together on the sofa, the latter holding the former as she cried for her lost colleague. Gwen and Ianto had also remained in the hub since returning from the Pharm, both of them still in shock at the events that took place at the medical research institute. Now though their shock only deepened at the lack of retort from Gaia. She seemed so calm and subdued, too calm for the situation they found themselves in. Hence when Martha left the autopsy room Gwen voiced her concern about their boss to the medic.

"Gaia's awfully calm about this." Gwen noted sitting next to the Londoner, both of them with a cup of coffee in hand.  
>"Hmm…" Martha agreed as she took a sip.<br>"How can she be so calm though? I mean Owen just…" Gwen couldn't say it. Martha sighed and cradled her coffee in her hands.  
>"Look at it from her perspective; she's two billion years old." Martha stated and Gwen looked at the Londoner in shock, she had forgotten that detail.<br>"We must be specs to her, nothing but a blip." Gwen conceded looking down in her lap. She didn't, therefore, notice the Planet Keeper's approach.

Crouching down in front of Gwen, Gaia admitted something she's wanted to tell a human for centuries. "You're really not." Gwen looked up at Gaia, slightly shocked at first for not hearing her approach and then in disbelief as what she had said sunk in.  
>"But you must see so many of us come and go. Our life spans are so short compared to yours." Gwen stated and Gaia nodded.<br>"That's true, a design fault on my part I'd admit. But you humans, you bring so much to the universe, good and not so good. If humans did have my sort of lifespan, things would never change and that's something you humans do so amazing, change." Gaia explained, now sitting in a chair her gaze wistful and her eyes revealing her true age. Everyone sat there in complete silence as they listened Gaia speak, her voice had them mesmerised and even when she had stopped talking the silence remained, now one knowing what to say. All in all it caused everyone to jump out of their skin when Jack came bounding in, carrying a large metal box.

"Jack…" Gaia warned sensing what he was carrying. Jack ignored her and continued to make his way over to one of the workstations.  
>"Jack, what have you got?" Gwen asked concerned, not able to see what was in the box. Jack put his hand into the deep box and pulled out a horribly familiar glove.<br>"Oh, my God." Toshiko gasped and Gwen shook her head in disbelief.  
>"You can't use it. Not after Suzie." She insisted, Jack ignored her.<br>"JACK!" Gaia shouted, as he ran down to the autopsy bay. Jack stopped and flinched slightly at the sound of the Planet Keeper's shout; the entire hub seemed to shudder from its resonance. Jack turned to face Gaia.  
>"I'm getting him back." Jack stated, his voice thick and showing his own weight of loss. Gaia sighed.<br>"Just be careful." She implored and Jack nodded, continuing to make his way down to the deceased Owen Harper.

Jack slipped on the glove and flexes his fingers in it. "I thought the glove didn't work for you." Gwen stated, obviously not liking Jack's idea.  
>"Different glove, different circumstances." Gaia muttered, now standing at the railings of the autopsy room, much to Jack's surprise, although she did have a bucket on stand by, just in case. Jack agreed with her though.<br>"This time, it has to work for me. I'm not going to give it any choice. Okay, if you've got anything you need to say to Owen, now is your chance." Jack said and put his gloved hand under Owen's head.

Closing his eyes Jack tried to feel for Owen, every grasp he took in the metaphorical darkness causing Gaia's guts to slosh and bubble. Now gripping the bar tightly from nausea, Gaia watched as Jack continued to search for Owen in the `beyond`.  
>"I'm not getting any vital signs." Ianto stated as he watched the cardiograph set up. With a final plea Jack's body suddenly tensed.<br>"He's coming, he's coming!" Jack announced gleefully and with a scream Owen awoke. Gaia had to turn around and vomit.

With her ears ringing Gaia couldn't make out any of the conversation that went on between Owen and the team, she sat there for 2 minutes, stomach bile and god knows what else being emptied into the bucket. Then as sudden as the nausea came… it went making Gaia feel much better. Clambering back to her feet, she stumbled over to the autopsy room, to see Owen missing and everyone staring at something next to Jack.

"Errr… where's Owen?" Gaia asked and everyone turned to look at her wide eyed, yet no one made an effort to answer. "Hello, I'm not talking to myself am I." Gaia continued this time directed at Tommy. Tommy profusely shook his head.  
>"No, it's just err…" Tommy answered not sure how to answer. Jack stepped in.<br>"Gaia he's right in front of you." Gaia's brow furrowed and she shook her head.  
>"There's no one there." She stated and the other's looked at her in shock.<p>

_2 minutes ago…_

"What happened? Where am I? Oh, God I'm shot, he shot me!" Owen shouted as Jack stood behind him cradling his head.  
>"Owen listen to me, we don't have long." Jack said, trying to reassure the resurrected medic.<br>"Where am I? This isn't the hospital, this is the autopsy room." Owen stated and caught a glimpse of the glove. "Jack, oh, no! What's that? What's that?" He asked in blind panic.  
>"The resurrection glove. We lost you, but I brought you back."<br>"How long have I got?"  
>"We're at thirty seconds and counting." Ianto answered, stopwatch in hand.<br>"Oh, no Jesus. Really?"  
>"Okay, team say your goodbyes." Jack announced turning to Gwen. She opened her mouth but no words came out. "Gwen!" Jack urges, but Gwen still doesn't say anything.<br>"Gwen, no offense, but I've only got two minutes to live!" Owen tells her, but Gwen still remained silent.  
>"Tosh, Tommy!" Jack urged.<br>"I'm gonna miss you." Tosh said quietly.  
>"It's been an honour to know you." Tommy added, the soldier shining through in him. Jack then proceeded to ask for the alien morgue code, a code only known by Owen. After that he had seconds left.<br>"Okay?" Owen asked, his voice starting to strain.  
>"Sorry, and to help you prepare. I know what death is. I want you to be ready." Jack reassured, clutching onto Owen's hand.<br>"There's nothing. Just… darkness." Owen muttered his fear evident.  
>"Two minutes." Ianto announced, signalling that their time was up.<br>"Jack, Jack…" Owen pleaded.  
>"Be brave!" Jack told him and the monitor flat lined, Owen was dead.<p>

"I'm really gonna need that hand back." Owen said, shocking everyone.  
>"Two minutes, twenty." Ianto announced. Jack stood up and backed away from Owen, the glove no longer on Owen's head.<br>"Look, I'm not using the glove." Jack stated.  
>"But I'm still here." Owen announced and sat up.<p>

This was when Gaia walked in.

_Now…_

It was new to Gaia, to see only one half of a conversation. As Jack and apparently `Owen` conversed over the fact that she couldn't see the dead medic, Gaia couldn't help but feel the eyes of the others staring at her in disbelief. Gaia slowly walked over to Martha, hoping to get her help. "Do you mind telling me what Owen's saying, I can only hear Jack's side of the conversation and it doesn't make much sense on it own." Gaia asked and Martha nodded.  
>"Owen's basically cussing a lot and questioning Jack on why you can't see him. He says and I quote, `He actually liked you and would like to speak to you again at some point.`" Martha explained and Gaia's heart swelled a little at the fact Owen had said that.<br>"Thanks." Gaia said quietly.  
>"You really can't see him?" Martha realised.<br>"I can show you if you like." Gaia offered lifting her hand. Martha offered her own, surprising Gaia once again. This wasn't something new to the young medic, which meant Gaia had done it before and Gaia hadn't done it before.

Gaia took a hold of Martha's hand and Martha gasped in shock as Owen disappeared before her eyes. "He's gone." Martha stated.  
>"Yeah, that's what I see, or don't see." Gaia joked and broke contact with Martha.<br>"Well this situation just went from mad to impossible." Martha stated.  
>"Bit like a friend of mine." Gaia whispered, ensuring Martha didn't catch a word.<p>

Now sat in the main hub, Gaia watched with amusement as everyone was silent and focused on an empty space; well to her it was empty. She had tried at the beginning of the conversation to try and guess what Owen was saying, but that had failed when Owen had begun to talk for extensive periods. So now Gaia was resigned to stare hopelessly at an empty spot.

Getting increasingly bored Gaia started to look around the workstations, noticing her own mobile out on one of the desks, the text light flashing. Standing up and going to retrieve it, Gaia caused the collective Torchwood team to gasp. Gaia stopped and looked at them with her brow furrowed. "What?" She asked.  
>"You, just, just walked… through Owen." Martha stuttered, her eyes not quite believing what she had just seen and she'd seen enough for her to believe in almost anything. Gaia's eyes widened and she turned back to face the way she had just walked.<br>"I just what!" Gaia said in disbelief.  
>"I dunno, it was like…" Martha began in disbelief turning to the others for help.<br>"It was like Owen was a ghost of something." Jack explained. "You just walked through him like he was a gas." Jack continued and walked up a little behind Gaia, to her, he began to poke thin air. "He seems solid to me." Jack stated. Everyone went silent for a second and begun to nod. Gaia looked at all them confused.

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay enough joking around, we need find out what's going on here. Owen I don't need to tell you that you're under quarantine." Jack started and there was a moment of silence where Gaia guessed Owen made some sarcastic comment. "Tosh, Tommy can you do some research on the glove, we need to know more about it. " Jack ordered and everyone nodded getting too work, leaving Gaia to retrieve her phone.

Gaia sat herself on the edge of Jack's desk, her gaze out through the window on the hub below. Jack was sat behind her, his feet up on his desk and his hands behind his head. "You really can't see him, can you?" Jack asked as he watched Gaia. Gaia shook her head.  
>"No, it's like. Well I don't know what to describe it as; there is literally no one there in my eyes." Gaia explained her gaze still over the hub and its inhabitants.<br>"Hmm… well it seems Owen's not over the moon by the fact you can't see him." Jack stated and Gaia turned to face him.  
>"I know." She began; a small smile on her face as she looked at Jack's confused expression. "Martha told me." She added. Jack nodded and put his feet back down on the floor, causing his entire posture to straighten.<br>"Now we've just got to work out what's keeping him going." Jack stated and Gaia shrugged, sitting herself down on the seat opposite Jack's.  
>"I haven't got a clue; I'm as much in the dark as you are." Gaia replied and Jack sighed.<br>"That's not comforting." Jack continued. "If you've never heard of it… then who has?" Silence fell over the pair as they contemplated the situation they now found themselves in.

Jack, being Jack broke the silence with an inappropriate question. "So who's River?" Gaia rolled her eyes.  
>"She's just a friend." Jack didn't buy it.<br>"Okay… where did you meet this friend? Because I've known you for a long time, a very long time and you've never mentioned a River to me before."  
>"She's just a friend, a friend of friend if you want to get really pedantic." Gaia sighed.<br>"Right…" Jack said, his eyebrow arched unbelievably. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, Martha came bursting in before Gaia could retort.  
>"Have you seen Owen?" She asks, slightly breathless. Both Jack and Gaia shook their heads, obviously Gaia hadn't.<br>"He was with Toshiko." Jack answered.  
>"The energy in him just went off the scale." Martha stated and Jack jumped out of his seat, heading towards the workstations.<p>

"Owen!" Jack shouted as he ran down to the workstation area. Tommy, Tosh and Gwen were down there. Tommy and Tosh were sitting next to each other at the same monitor whilst Gwen was at her own desk.  
>"He said he needed the lavatory." Tommy answered. Martha's eyes widened.<br>"Owen's digestive system had shut down. He can't eat or drink- so he certainly doesn't need to pee." Martha stated and turned to Jack, who already had his coat on.  
>"He's not answering." Jack said as he tried the comms. Toshiko turned to her computer.<br>"He's not in the hub either." She stated as she read the scan.  
>"So he's out there?" Martha said worriedly.<br>"It's Owen, it's not like he's dangerous." Gaia said. "Even if I can't see him." She continued to mutter.  
>"You sure about that?" Martha replied, looking at the hand-held monitor in her hand.<br>"Meaning?" Jack pondered, but still hurried to the cog door.  
>"You had the power to bring people back to like and you never told UNIT. Why?" Martha asked her anger evident.<br>"They would have wanted to use it." Gaia stated as if it were obvious. Martha looked between the bosses of Torchwood with a desperate expression.  
>"I'm on your side." She pleaded. "But Owen's just had a surge of energy that we can't begin to understand. The cells in his body are being transformed into something else. He's about 50% human and that 50% is dead. We need to stop thinking about him as Owen. Never mind the fact that Gaia can't even see him or notice his existence." Martha implored to Jack, but he didn't falter.<br>"I'll find him." Jack told them earnestly and left without another word.

Gaia sighed as Jack ran out; she knew she was little help if she went with him. There's no point going to look for a man she couldn't even see, but that didn't make her feel any less useless. Sitting herself down on the couch next to the autopsy room she started to massage the side of her temples. She'd never come across a power such as the one Owen apparently possessed and the fact it was Earthly in origin and she didn't know about it scared her more than she let the others believe. She hadn't felt this scared and useless since her father returned home when she was a child; he had become so self absorbed in his own planet that he had little time for her, so when she had made a mistake or had an accident as every child does, her father had turned rather violent.

Shaking herself out of her troubled past Gaia looked up at the hub. Everyone had gotten back to work since the Jack had left, although the usual cheery and some what light hearted composition of the hub seemed non-existent. Everyone was serious and worried about their, until recently, deceased colleague. That was until her comm went off.

Jack informed her that he had found Owen and they were on their way back. Gaia had told him her relief and then hung up. She then went over to Tosh, Tommy and Gwen to tell them the news. "Jack's called in, he's found Owen. They're okay, they're coming back." Gaia explained and they all nodded, although Tosh looked worried.  
>"Is he himself?" Tosh asked.<br>"What do you mean, `himself`?" Gwen asked worried.  
>"I, well we wanted to know why Owen left. So we checked the CCTV."<br>"Okay and…" Gaia said and Tosh opened a window onto her monitor for them all to see.  
>"Only now we wish we hadn't." Tommy finished and Tosh pressed play on the footage showing a video of Owen. His eyes were pure black and he's shouting in an unknown language. Unfortunately to Gaia it was just a recording of an empty room.<br>"Oh, my god." Gwen stated in shock and Gaia looked between her and monitor.  
>"What is that?" Martha asked, also in shock.<br>"What? What's happening?" Gaia asked desperately, not able to see the zombified medic on the monitor.  
>"Owen he's, he's been possessed." Gwen said her eyes wide akin to a deer in a headlight.<p>

Gaia entered Jack's office only a few minutes later, Tosh and Martha on her tail. "We need to know what Owen was saying." Tosh stated and Gaia continued to the secure unit at the back of Jack's office. Entering the code only known by Jack and herself, the unit opened revealing several metal boxes. Selecting and opening the correct box she hands the small metal device. "This has never let us down before." Tosh stated and headed back down to her monitor.

Tosh sat back down at her work station and everyone gathered round. She then stuck the small device onto the monitor. "We should be able to play the translation through computer's speakers." She stated and, as per usual, the technology did the opposite. Both Tosh and Gaia, the most technologically advanced of the group, frowned as the device made a wild bleeping sound. "It's never done that before." Tosh stated, although the written translation does appear on the screen.  
>"I can see it." Gaia said shocked as she read Owen's speech.<br>"I shall walk the earth and my hunger will know no bounds." Tommy read and everyone shivered a little.  
>"I've got a really bad feeling about this." Gwen stated and the cog door alarm sounded.<br>"You don't know the half of it." Jack stated from behind them and all of them turned around and, bar Gaia, saw Owen and Jack back in the hub.

Gaia watched with some amusement as weevil seemed to cower away from an invisible source, well invisible to her anyway. Weevils were quite common to react in that way to her, they had all leant who was top of the food chain in that aspect, but to see them cower away to a human, well a walking dead, invisible and non-existent to her human. It was comical to say the least.

Gaia turned her head to look at the monitor set up opposite the weevil cage; it showed the live CCTV of the weevil cowering, Owen apparently in shot. Although she couldn't see him or hear him, the translation program was still running with subtitles of what Owen was saying at the bottom of the screen. This was now her only means of communication with the dead medic.

"So I'm the king of Weevils." The screen read, showing what Owen was currently saying. The weevil seemed to huddle back even more with just Owen speaking. "Maybe even Weevil Messiah, but whichever way you look at it, it ain't good."  
>"No it isn't, and I think it's happened before." Gwen stated and handed Jack a photo of a very old wooden carving. Gaia shuddered a little at the sight of it and yet, she didn't know why.<br>"Where did you get this?" Jack asked.  
>"I found it in an article about Black Death and what you're looking are the first images of the Grim Reaper. `I shall walk the Earth and my hunger will know no bounds.` In legend, the person who said those words was Death himself." Gwen explained and Jack nodded as he took all of the information in.<br>"But there's no such thing." Martha argued and everyone, bar Gaia turned to look at Owen.  
>"Yeah, I'm dead. I'm not Death. There is a difference." Owen stated as Gaia read it off the monitor.<br>"Does he know that?" Gwen questioned and everyone fell into silence, watching the cowering Weevil.

Now sitting in the conference room, Gwen began by telling the group her findings.  
>"Right, that wood-carving dates back to the 15th century, to a small parish called St. James. When they heard about the plague, they built a wall around the town. Unfortunately, that didn't prevent a little girl from dying. So the legend goes, the priest performs a miracle, brings her back to life, but she doesn't come back alone, she brought Death with her, and he walked amongst them." Tosh turned to Jack, a look of disbelief on her face.<br>"Are we seriously going to act on something she's Googled?" Tosh asked and Jack ignored her.  
>"What was the name of the priest's church?" Jack asked Gwen.<br>"St Mary's." Gwen answered.  
>"That's where I found the glove, which makes the parish of St. James…"<br>"… the town that five hundred years later would turn into the city called Cardiff." Gwen finished. There was a moment of silence and Gaia turned to the monitor, which still had the subtitles running on the CCTV.  
>"What happened to the town when Death walked amongst them?" Owen asked, Gaia was reading his speech off of the monitor.<br>"People died. 12 people. Death needed 13 souls before it had a permanent hold on the Earth." Gwen answered.  
>"How did they stop it at 12?" Jack asked.<br>"It just says Faith." Gwen answered once again and everyone fell into thought.

It was Ianto surprisingly who asked the next question. "If you don't mind me asking, ma'am how do you not know about this, surely you know about everything that happens on Earth?" Gaia rubbed her forehead. She did have a vague idea how this could have happened, as unfortunately she did have a very potent memory of the time she was forming the 15th century and its people, but she just hoped she was wrong as she didn't know if she could face it.  
>"I don't know." She lied and even Jack bought it. "And quite frankly that terrifies me." She continued. Although it didn't help their situation, no one mentioned it to Gaia again; they could quite easily see she was at wits end. Her hair had become slightly shrivelled with her blue streak dulling in colour. Her eyes had also dulled considerably, with them not the bright green they use to be, more a greygreen.

Breaking the silence that had fallen over the group, Gaia heard a bleeping sound that apparently was emanating off of Owen's wrist. "What's this reading now?" Gaia read off the monitor. Martha quickly checked.  
>"80 percent." She answered and Gaia turned back to the screen, sensing that Owen may have something to say about that.<br>"What happens when it completes? You know, we fight monsters- what happens when we turn out to be the monsters, when I do?"  
>"Even if we fight you, you're already dead." Tommy stated and Jack nodded in agreement.<br>"What do we do with the dead?" Owen said and Gaia read. Gaia looked up and realised no one wanted to answer Owen.  
>"We embalm them." Gaia stated and everyone turned to look at her a mixture of disgust and shock on their faces.<br>"Exactly." Owen continued. "If we inject a formaldehyde solution into my veins, it'll petrify my neural pathways and freeze dry my brain. It's the only way to be sure." Owen stated and silence fell over the group as they realised he was right.

Owen's idea of embalming him didn't really go to plan. As Martha was going to inject the first needle, the glove attacked her. It stuck itself to her face and aged her rapidly; it wasn't until Owen shot the glove that its tirade ended. But now, Owen swayed on his feet and dropped the gun. Gaia's eyes widened as she read Martha's monitor that had been left on the side. Owen was at 100%. Although Gaia couldn't see Owen, she could see the black cloud he produced and akin to the little girl who had run away from her violent father, Gaia did the same.

Fear was what caused Gaia run, she had given no thought to the team she had left behind in the hub; she just ran. Faster than any human, she manoeuvred her way through the city and finally stopped at a hill on its outskirts. Heavily out of breath and adrenaline fading, Gaia keeled over onto the grass. She was still terrified at the dark cloud that had festered itself out of Owen, but she knew she couldn't run anymore. Closing her eyes she tried and failed to calm the triple staccato rhythm of her beating hearts.

She was shocked for a second time in the passage of an hour by the familiar sound of a vortex manipulator. Opening her eyes and sitting up, she was doubly shocked to see a slightly older Jack Harkness standing a few meters away. "Jack?" Gaia asked not hundred percent sure she was really seeing him  
>"The one and only." The older Jack answered a faint smile on his face. He flicked out his long trench coat behind him and sat down next to Gaia, putting his arm around her shoulder and allowing her to snuggle into his side. "So, you going to tell me what's wrong?" He asked and Gaia looked up at him.<br>"I sent you, didn't I. Older me I mean." Gaia stated.  
>"Spoil…" Jack begun but Gaia cut him off.<br>"Don't you dare say spoilers!" She spat and she could feel Jack's arm tighten slightly around her.  
>"Are you going to tell me why the dark cloud scared you so much?" Jack asked softly, not put off by Gaia's harsh words. Gaia looked at him slightly shocked.<br>"You remember that?"  
>"I was told about it." Jack said hesitantly and Gaia's shoulders sagged.<br>"So you don't remember."  
>"It's been a very long time on my part." Jack revealed honestly and Gaia let her head rest on his shoulder as she heard the pain in his voice.<p>

"Back on Starnet when I was forming the 15th Century, my dad came home." Gaia stated and she felt Jack pull her into him even more. "He had just come back from a political trip to his own planet and he was infatuated, near on obsessed with his chosen species and after mum died, he was all I had left." Gaia began and then the tears came. "I tried; I really tried to be the perfect daughter. I stayed out of his way, got stuff when he asked. But one day he asked me to get him a faraday crystal from the cliffs on the beach. I got him one obviously and was just about to give it to him, when I slipped on one of his papers, smashing the crystal." Gaia started to quake in fear as the memory played over in her head. "He, he went mad at me, said it was my fault my mother died. That it was my fault his plans never worked and he hit me. I was only 6 and… he realised the satisfaction he felt when he did it. It wasn't until I was 15 that I escaped his deranged fury, he went completely mad and left for his own planet, vowing never to return. I was so happy when he left, I was free." Gaia said wiping the rolling tears from her cheeks. "So that's what the black cloud was, every fear of my father, every punishment, every night I cried myself to sleep, rebounded back on to my planet. That's what it is. So I'm asking you, nay I'm pleading with you, please, please don't make me go face that." Gaia finished looking up at Jack, who also had tears rolling down his cheeks.

Kissing Gaia on the forehead, Jack began with his reply. "You don't have to if you don't want to." He said catching Gaia by surprise.  
>"What? But isn't that the whole point of you coming here, hear my pathetic excuse for running away and then convince me to go back, swooping in and saving the day, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…" Gaia responded and Jack shook his head.<br>"Time can be rewritten." He replied and Gaia looked at in incredulously.  
>"Who told you that?"<br>"Who do you think?" Jack countered and Gaia sighed.  
>"So what you're telling me is that I can stay up here with you. Watch how you fade from existence because I've changed the past and then witness, no doubt, as my worst childhood fears parade around the city, killing the humans and pretend to be a bodied version of death." Gaia stated.<br>"No, what I'm saying is for you to have a little faith in your team. They have saved the world before you know, without your help." Jack replied. Gaia exhaled deeply and looked Jack in the eye.  
>"Did you though? Could you have done it if I hadn't come in? I know I went in your timeline otherwise you never would have used the term rewritten." Gaia argued and Jack looked down at the grass, not able to meet Gaia's eye. "See. So how can I not go?" Gaia asked. Jack sighed.<br>"You've got so much to come." He began cupping her face in his hand. "So much brilliant, wonderful things, but some not. I don't want you to go through the bad if you don't have to." Jack finished, kissing Gaia on the forehead. Gaia sighed and slowly got to her feet, brushing her trousers off in the process.  
>"We all have to face are fears eventually." Gaia stated with a sad smile as she knew what she had to do.<br>"Isn't that my line?" Jack jested and Gaia allowed herself to laugh. Jack then also got to his feet.  
>"You look after yourself." Gaia said as she straightened out Jack's coat. "No doubt older me will be pestering you when you get back." Gaia added and Jack chuckled.<br>"You have no idea." He replied. "You look after yourself to, I have no doubts that you will but I'll say it anyway." Jack said and pulled Gaia into a hug. "You'll be fine." He whispered into her ear and they parted, Jack disappearing in a crackle of white light.

Gaia was now hiding on the balcony of the hospital. She could hear Tosh, Jack and a young boy called Jamie bang on the glass that surrounded the stair case, all pleading with Owen not to do this. Taking a deep breath Gaia stood up straight and made her way to the top of the stairs. She had now completely blocked out the shouting of Tosh and Jack as they pleaded with her to stop, she just made her way down the stairs to the black figure. It seemed to sense her approach and turned to face her as she reached the bottom step.

"Hello." She said quietly, being now only a few meters away she could feel the painful memories start to resurface. "I know what you are and I know how you were made." She told the creature, now verging on hysterics. "My fear. The fear of my father, but you know what… I'm not a child anymore." She spat. The creature seemed to make a cracking noise in response; the only comparison Gaia could make was that off 100's of bones being broken. The creature the swirled in the air and began to reform as someone else.

The sight of an innocent child caused Gaia to drop to her knees. Only adding to the shock was the fact that it was her innocent child, her Luna. "No." Gaia said her voice now weak and barely audible.  
>"Could you do it Mummy?" The creature with the voice of her daughter said. "Could you let me die again?" She asked, her tone innocent, unlike the creature it was coming from. Gaia remained frozen, she couldn't do it. Her little girl, her baby… how could she?<p>

It seemed though Owen had other ideas. "Don't you dare!" He yelled at the creature who had taken on the form of a child. It instantly turned back to him and roared something only a creature of its kind could, yet Owen stood his ground. Now back in the form of a black hooded figure, Owen began to wrestle with it. It didn't last long, without the sustenance of another soul or Gaia's fear; it died in a flash of white light.

With the creature now gone Gaia started to sway slightly on her knees then began to fall, Owen was instantly at her side and caught her. He was solid again. Gaia cracked open her eyes to see who had caught her. With a some what exhausted smile she muttered "Owen" and then blacked out.


	19. First Time For Everything

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: This chapter is a major filler, but I felt that River's and Gaia's relationship needed to get on a bit if they were going to do what I wanted them too later on in the story. The last few paragraphs were written on the sole reason that I thought this chapter needed to be a bit longer, but I ended up having a laughing them. Anyhoo, as always reviews are much appreciated and alerts or any notification that anyone I actually reading my work... **

It had been a few days now since the hospital incident and since then Gaia had been able to see Owen. A theoretical conclusion was made about Gaia's inability to see Owen beforehand. The fact that Owen was, in theory, brought back by Gaia's fear, her mind and body was repelling it; Gaia's natural instinct of survival caused Owen to be invisible to her. Now though, Owen was completely visible and solid and although she still felt quite nauseated when around him, she and he had gotten on like they always had… bickering, arguing and general banter.

Martha had also departed from themselves and returned to her work at UNIT. She had given Owen a clean bill of health, well for a dead guy anyway and Jack had reinstated him as head medic of Torchwood. Gaia had given Martha her mobile number for emergencies and promised to visit Martha soon in London.

At the present Gaia was sat by the workstations on her own, it was fairly late and the silence in the hub could almost be deemed as eerie. Assuming no one, bar Jack, would be in the hub Gaia leaned back in her chair and stretched her mental boundaries. Allowing them to flow through the hub, she felt the familiar and yet different glow of Jack. He was quite use to Gaia's mental endeavours and his glow didn't waiver as he felt her presence. Gaia allowed her connection to spread around the hub, but when she reached her office she felt an unfamiliar mind and her mental capacity snapped back like an elastic band.

Gaia instantly got to her feet and in her speed caused her head to spin wildly. Swaying for a moment she allowed herself to get her bearings again, before slowly making her way forward and towards her office. Clutching the railings of the stairs, Gaia smiled faintly. After telling Jack the misfortunes of her childhood she couldn't help but feel a weight lifted off of her. Although not distinctively obvious the horrors of her childhood had plagued her memory and therefore her ever since she went through them. To finally tell someone, someone she trusted about it… relief didn't cover it.

Gaia finally reached her office door and took a deep breath; not knowing what she see on the other side of her door, she opened it very tentatively and saw the last person she was expecting, River Song.  
>"River?" Gaia said shocked. River turned to face her and smiled in a way only River could.<br>"Hello Sweetie." She purred and Gaia stood there still in shock.  
>"Wha… what are you doing here?" Gaia stuttered. River pouted.<br>"You sound like you don't want me here." River said jokingly, although Gaia could hear the underlying pain in her voice.  
>"No, I…" Gaia began but River cut her off.<br>"Sweetie I'm joking." River then pulled out a small piece of paper from her belt. "You told me to come here." She continued and walked over to hand Gaia the piece of paper. Before she handed Gaia the paper though she stopped a few centremetres away and finger pointing to her cheek. Gaia raised her eyebrows.  
>"Seriously?" Gaia asked incredulously and River nodded. Rolling her eyes, Gaia went in for the kiss and at the last moment River turned her head ensuring the women touched lips.<p>

Once again Gaia's lips were blasted with the taste of bubble-gum and a taste so uniquely River. Her eyes slid shut and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her throat as her and the part time lady kissed. When they did finally broke apart Gaia did her best to keep her expression firm and unimpressed. She failed miserably and both women ended up smiling at one another.

River then finally handed Gaia the small piece of paper and Gaia opened it up to see what her older self had said. "_River, 13.3.2008.14. . You'll be staying over night. Gaia X" _Gaia's, present day Gaia's, eyebrows rose as she read the message. Over night! Well that should be interesting. River broke her out of her reverie by asking a very innocent, put potentially problematic question.  
>"So do I get the tour?" Gaia's mind went into over drive as she analysed possible problems with allowing River to look around the hub. "Please…" River said sickenly sweetly and Gaia caved.<br>"Let me go get rid of Jack." Gaia replied before slipping out of the room and heading for Jack's office.

Gaia didn't falter when she entered Jack office, causing her to scare the hell out of Jack. "You're up." He said shocked, he had been sure the planet keeper had hit the sack.  
>"Yeah and I'm kinda gonna need you to get out of the hub. I'm going to finish installing the AI into the hub and if I end up getting it wrong the hub will go into lock down, so I'm going to need you on the outside just in case." Gaia stated quite proud of herself in the fact that she thought of the total and utter lie on the spot. Jack seemed to buy it though.<br>"How long would I need to be out of the hub?" He asked.  
>"Err… 3 4 hours. I'll finish at 1 the latest." Gaia answered. The current time was 9 pm. Jack nodded and grabbed his coat.  
>"Better be going then." He said with a smile. Gaia smiled softly in return, she didn't like lying to him. Gaia followed him to the roll door where Jack stopped and kissed her on the forehead. "Good luck." He said honestly. Gaia nodded.<br>"Have fun." She replied and Jack left, leaving her and River alone. "River!" She yelled and River stuck her head out of Gaia's office.  
>"Yes?" She asked all too innocently.<br>"Did you want that tour?" Gaia replied, not able but to smile up at River. River nodded and headed down to Gaia's side.  
>"Lead on you sexy thing." River joked. Gaia laughed and linked hands with River, leading her into the bowels of the hub.<p>

_10 minutes later…_

"This is the armoury." Gaia introduced and River's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. The room the couple found themselves in was full of racks and tables, all full to the brim with an assortment of human and alien weaponry.  
>"Wow." River uttered and Gaia chuckled softly behind her.<br>"I figured you like might this room." Gaia commented and led River to the arch way at the back. "It also has a built in shooting range." She joked. River didn't answer her eyes still wide with awe with the vast arsenal facing her.  
>"Can I have a go?" River asked sounding like an excited child; Gaia bit her lip in thought.<br>"Sure why not." She conceded. "Choose your poison." She continued gesturing at the armoury and she couldn't help but notice River flinch as she said that. River still went and chose a weapon none the less.

River had opted for the large Axon energy charger, an extremely large weapon that required the 2 of them to use. Gaia stood behind River, her chest up against River's back and her arms around the woman helping her to support the gun. "Okay, you need to aim for the middle of the range; the size of the pulse is quite large." Gaia instructed and River looked through the eye piece to line it up. "Now…" Gaia continued. "When you're ready slowly pull back the lever." River nodded and held her breath as she slowly eased back the lever on the edge of the barrel. As the lever clicked back a large circular energy blast released itself from the gun, seeming to roll down the range it destroyed everything in its path, causing them to go up in flames. Thankfully the energy dwindled into nothing before it hit the back wall. River released her breath she had been holding and smiled.  
>"Wow." She stated completely in awe at the destruction in front of her.<br>"Hm-mm." Gaia agreed and took a step back from River. Seeing River holding the gun caused Gaia's hearts to start pounding. River looked completely bad-ass with it and Gaia couldn't deny she found it extremely attractive.  
>"What?" River asked slightly self conscious after seeing Gaia looking at her.<br>"Nothing, you sexy thing." Gaia replied repeating River's own words. River beamed.

_45 minutes later…_

Gaia was now leading River down the corridor; they had done several floors of the inner workings of the hub and were now working their way back up. River had taken a keen interest into the hub inner workings and Gaia trusted her enough to tell her. Now though River was intrigued at where the other boss of Torchwood Cardiff had got himself too. "So what did you tell Captain Harkness for him to get out of the hub?" River asked.  
>"Captain Harkness?" Gaia questioned her eyebrow aloft and a smile on her face.<br>"That's his name isn't it?" River asked genuinely confused at Gaia's reaction.  
>"Well yeah, but don't call him Captain Harkness. Just Jack will do. His ego doesn't need anymore inflating." Gaia explained and River nodded in understanding.<br>"Bit like you then." River teased and Gaia gasped mockingly.  
>"River, I have no idea what you're talking about." Gaia joked and both women laughed.<p>

Once the laughter died down River returned to her original question of which Gaia quite happily answered. "I told him I was finishing the AI system."  
>"Okay, but he'll know you were lying won't he? When he comes back and it's not done." River stated as the couple now stood amidst the workstations. Gaia smiled and flicked the switch on the desk behind her. All the monitors in the hub wavered for a minute before a new voice boomed itself around the hub.<br>"AI Online." A male computer voice said. "Processing information." It said again and all went quiet.  
>"It'll being doing that for a few hours now." Gaia explained and turned to River who looked shocked.<br>"You have an AI computer in the 21st century." She said mouth agape in shock.  
>"Yep." Gaia nodded. River shook her head in disbelief.<br>"Who built it?" Gaia gestured to herself and River walked over to her so they were face to face. "You're amazing." River stated and kissed Gaia on the lips.

_2 hour later…_

River and Gaia were now sitting on the couch in the hub, River leaning on Gaia's shoulder. The 2 were chatting about this and that, the mad man and his box gaining a few mentions in their conversations. It was now Gaia realised that she could ask River the question she'd wanted to ask for months, ever since the Byzantium in fact. Unfortunately she almost lost her opportune moment when River started to butterfly kiss her neck.

"No, River. I want to ask you something." Gaia stated and reluctantly River lifted her head. "How does this work, I mean you, the Doctor and I? Yours and his timelines are backwards and mine are all over the place." Gaia asked looking at River. River rolled her eyes and presumed to kiss at Gaia's neck. "No Riv-" Gaia began but was quickly cut off when River nipped at her pulse point on her neck, causing Gaia to groan in pleasure. River chuckled at Gaia's reaction and brought her lips close to Gaia's ear.  
>"Spoilers, sweetie." River whispered huskily and Gaia shivered.<p>

When Jack returned to the hub at 1, he was very surprised to see 2 sets of women's clothing strewn across the hub. Glancing up at Gaia's office, his eye brows rose at the sight of her blinds closed. Gaia never closed her blinds. Chuckling softly to himself he started to collect the items of clothing from around the hub.

On his way up to his office, he deposited the clothing outside Gaia's office door. Then, bearing in mind he considered Gaia to be family, he very quickly made his way to his office and his soundproofed bunker. Lying in his bed a little later on Jack couldn't help but smile- he'd have some serious blackmail material in the morning.

When Gaia awoke the next morning she couldn't help but notice that the other side of her bed was empty. She could help but feel her hearts drop a little at River's sudden departure. Keeping her eyes shut, she rolled over and started to pout.  
>"You always looked cute when you pouted." A familiar voice said. Gaia opened her eyes in an instant and was very pleased to see that River was still there, albeit getting dressed.<br>"You haven't left yet." Gaia said happily.  
>"Mm-hmm." River started as she finished tying up her shoes lace. "I have to be going in a minute though." River stated as she put on her holster and did a quick check everything was still there.<br>"Oh." Gaia replied, sounding somewhat like a disappointed child. She then shuffled her way to the edge of the bed and stood up; the blanket they were sleeping under fastened on her like a dress. "When will I see you again River?" Gaia asked, desperately trying not to sound like a love-struck teenager although she figured she must have failed spectacularly. River chuckled softly at the question and went to stand in front of the other woman.  
>"Very soon I suspect." River replied. "You always did pop up when I least expected it and it seems I now do the same to you." River added and both women chuckled, although Gaia's seemed to be some what half heartedly.<p>

River rolled her eyes at the other woman's reluctancy and then promptly pushed her back onto the bed. "River!" Gaia squealed in shock, now lying on her back, her hair spraying out around her head. River then pounced onto of Gaia, causing her to squeal again and River to laugh. River straddled Gaia and pinned her hands above her head. Then with the most passion, devotion and love River could muster, she kissed the planet keeper deeply. At first it seemed Gaia was slightly shocked at the intensity of River's kiss, although she quickly got use to it. She tried to kiss River with the same passion River was giving her, although she couldn't seem to be able to muster it up and River continued to remain the dominant one in the kiss.

At some point, Gaia didn't know when, her eyes had shut as they kissed and hence she didn't see the white crack of light signifying River's departure. All she felt was the River suddenly disappearing off of her chest and lips, leaving her lying on the bed, semi-naked and panting for breath. "Wow." She managed to mutter and a smile graced her River coated lips.

When Gaia finally got herself up and dressed, she slowly made her way out of her office. She was surprised to see her clothes from the previous night in a pile by her door. Mentally thanking Jack she nudged the pile into her office and closed the door behind her. Unfortunately she did it a little too loudly and caught Jack's attention.

"Good Morning sleeping beauty." Jack announced as Gaia walked down the stairs. Gaia at this point was smiling, trying her best to act normal.  
>"Morning." She replied cheerfully.<br>"Have a good night last night?" Jack asked with an eyebrow raised. Gaia tried her hardest not to blush.  
>"Yes thank you. Was yours good?" Gaia asked her poker face on snug.<br>"Yeah…" Jack said coyly, amazed that Gaia hadn't either blushed or burst out giggling. "Did you finish the AI?" He asked quickly, now he had her. Gaia chuckled.  
>"Yep." She replied and walked over to one of the monitors. "Statistic report." Gaia commanded the thin air and there was a moment of silence. Jack began to snigger, but was shocked when he heard a response.<br>"Processing complete, please state name for system." The AI boomed and Gaia turned to Jack with a smile on her face. Jack, to say the least, looked shocked.  
>"So what should we call it? We only have one shot." Gaia stated and Jack grinned mischievously.<br>"Does it have to be male or female?" He asked seemingly innocent.  
>"Either, I can change the pitch and tone of the voice to suit the name." Jack grinned and then loud enough for the AI to hear he shouted it's chosen name.<br>"**River**!" Gaia's eyes widened. _  
><em>"No, no, no." She said frantically, now furiously typing on the keyboard, but it was too late.  
>"Name: <strong>River<strong>, accepted." The AI, now named **River**, stated. Jack laughed and Gaia growled in annoyance.

**(A/N: The AI River will be in bold.)**

Sighing Gaia conceded that the AI system would now have to be called **River**… until she managed to find a way to recode it. "**River**." Gaia called hoping by some miracle her programming on the AI system had been faulty.  
>"Yes ma'am." The AI replied. Apparently not.<br>"Recalibrate vocal tone and pitch to human female." Gaia told the currently male AI.  
>"Yes ma'am." The male voice said and started to make bleeping noises as it recalibrated.<br>"Complete, ma'am. Will that be all?" The now female AI asked.  
>"Yes thank you… <strong>River<strong>." Gaia finished with gritted teeth. Gaia then turned to a very impressed Jack. "You got me." Jack admitted with his hands up. "I'm impressed." He finished and Gaia laughed. "Now you've just got to explain to the others." Gaia stopped laughing.  
>"Miss Sato and Mr Brockless have just entered the Tourist board, ma'am and sir." <strong>River<strong> announced just to add to Gaia's growing worries.

2 hours later…

The Torchwood team were currently gathered around in the board room, all trying to process the information Gaia had told them. "So we have a talking computer running the majority of Torchwood now." Owen stated with disbelief.  
>"Well yeah to put in short. A computer with Artificial intelligence that won't be seen for another 50 years on Earth and can be manually overwritten if need be," Gaia explained, although it didn't seem to sink in for anyone.<br>"I'm happy with that." Tosh stated, god knows with an AI program her job would be made a lot easier. Tommy nodded slowly at Tosh's side, he was still trying to get his head around computers, never mind ones that could talk and seemingly had a mind of their own. Gwen wasn't overly sure how she felt about it; it was still all a bit surreal. Talking computers that had the ability to control everything, it was either a futuristic fantasy or a horror movie waiting to happen. Ianto was intrigued; akin to Tosh he figured that the AI would become very handy for his work. Owen was gobsmacked, he knew Gaia was smart and all that but to create this… even he had to admit he was impressed.

"So everyone's got the heads up. I have no doubt it'll take some time to get use to, but we'll learn like we always do." Jack stated and everyone nodded. "Dismissed." He said with a wave of his hand and everyone filled out. Jack remained in the board room, now the only one left. Turning to face the large monitor he had an ingenious idea. "**River,** show me the CCTV footage of last night." Jack ordered.  
>"Yes sir." <strong>River<strong> replied and the footage started to show on the screen.  
>"Now let's find out who River is then." Jack said to himself and watched the footage with a devious smile.<p>

Gaia sat back in her office and let her eyes drift shut. Taking a deep breath, she felt extremely relaxed… until **River** decided to interrupt her. "Ma'am, Captain Harkness has requested to view the CCTV footage of last night, shall I allow him?" **River** asked. Gaia was slightly amused by the fact that Jack thought he'd get away with that.  
>"<strong>River <strong>could you be a dear a swap last night's footage for that exactly 2 weeks ago?" Gaia asked.  
>"Certainly ma'am. Is there anything else ma'am?"<br>"Yes, can you alert Gwen that Jack wants to see her. Put it on delay though, for in 15 minutes." Gaia requested.  
>"Alert set ma'am. Is that all?"<br>"Yes thank you **River**." Gaia finished and smiled deviously. Revenge was sweet.

Jack knew for a fact that this footage wasn't of last night, it was of him and Ianto doing things River and Gaia no doubt got up to last night. But, even though he was eager to see who this River really was, he couldn't bring himself to turn off the other footage. The discomfort he felt downstairs also proved that he really didn't want to turn the footage off. Hence he jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock from behind him. "Jack!" Gwen called from outside the door and Jack's eyes widened.  
>"Err… <strong>River <strong>turn off the footage." He whispered not wanting Gwen to hear him, but at the same time **River** didn't hear him either.  
>"Jack I'm coming in." Gwen stated from outside and the door handle began to turn. Jack in frantic worry grabbed the file of the desk and placed it on his lap, opening it up at an angle to make it look like he was reading it.<p>

Gwen walked into the boardroom and was surprised to see Jack reading a file… upside down. "Everything alright Jack?" She asked cautiously.  
>"Yeah, everything's fine." Jack replied. Gwen shook her head in disbelief.<br>"Did you want me?" She asked and Jack looked confused.  
>"No…" He dragged. Gwen raised her eyebrows.<br>"But **River** said… never mind. I'll leave you to get back to what you were doing." Gwen said trying to keep a straight face. Jack had left the CCTV footage on behind him and Gwen was currently getting a nice view of their arses. She promptly left the board room before the footage could escalate.

Jack sighed in relief when Gwen left and chucked the file back onto the table. He knew Gaia was behind this and he would get his revenge… some how.


	20. Sontaran Stratagem

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: It's up... finally. I have just finished writing it, i haven't proof read it and I have a banging headache. That's dedication! ;) Anyway, sorry for any mistakes, although there is a bit of flirting in this... woo! :) Also thanks for the reviews, they mean a hell of a lot! :) **

"…Imagine that. If you could control them, you'd have 800 million weapons." An all too familiar voice said in the next room.

Gaia was currently at the ATMOS central depot, after receiving a phone call from Martha as well as reading several UNIT reports, Jack had sent her to help out. She had arrived at the base not too long ago and after seeing the iconic blue box in one of the alleyways, she was eager to see the man himself once again.

Stepping into the office the room went quiet for a moment. Martha was the first to speak. "Took your time didn't you." She stated a smile on her face and eyebrows raised. Gaia shrugged and smiled in return.  
>"Nice to see you too Martha." She replied happily. Martha rolled her eyes and shook her head at the Planet keeper. Colonel Mace was the next to respond.<p>

Standing up to attention Colonel Mace saluted Gaia. "Colonel Mace ma'am. It is an honour to finally meet you." He stated. Gaia looked mildly shocked at the statement, she hadn't realised she had a reputation with UNIT.  
>"At ease Colonel." She replied. "And it is nice to meet you also." She replied, her tone strictly professional. The Colonel gave a short nod before returning to the ATMOS.<p>

Gaia then turned to the other man studying the ATMOS. "Hello Honey." Gaia said sweetly, the term of endearment had simply slipped off her tongue, yet she rather liked the sound of it. The Doctor blushed a little, the top of his ears turning the reddest.  
>"Bit early for you to be saying that." He commented eyebrows raised.<br>"Meaning?" She queried.  
>"You're younger than we last met." He stated.<br>"It's not my fault you never do things in the right order." Gaia retorted smirking.  
>"But it's not my fault your timeline is non-linear to mine." The Doctor replied, now stepping towards Gaia. They were millimetres away.<br>"Ah, but from my point of view your timeline's non-linear to mine." Gaia retorted not minding the Doctor's closeness at all.  
>"Look at you two." Martha exclaimed. "You're like an old married couple." Gaia and the Doctor met each other's gaze, neither able to hide the blush that rose to their cheeks.<p>

Colonel Mace killed the moment, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "Quite. If it is too much to ask Doctor, could we please get back to the matter at hand." Colonel Mace said; it was a statement not a question.  
>"Right, yes." The Doctor replied, running his fingers through his hair and returning his attention back to the ATMOS at the centre of the room. Picking up the device he turned it over in his hand, eyeing the device and scanning it's make up. Gaia came up and stood beside him, also eyeing the shiny small device. "Ionising nano-membrane carbon dioxide filter." The Doctor stated slightly shocked at his findings.<br>"ATMOS works then." Gaia stated and the Doctor nodded in agreement.  
>"Yes apparently so; filters the CO2 at a molecular level." Colonel Mace seemed unsurprised at this information.<br>"We know all that, but what's its origin? Is it alien?" He implored and Gaia couldn't help but roll her eyes at the human.  
>"No. Decades ahead of its time, but not alien." Gaia stated and Mace looked somewhat upset. He leant over to examine the ATMOS with the Doctor.<br>"Look, d'you mind, could you stand back a bit?" The Doctor asked, clearly uncomfortable.  
>"Sorry, have I done something wrong?" Mace asked, slightly confused at the Doctor's actions.<br>"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?" The Doctor spat back venomously. Mace leant away from the ATMOS as did Gaia, also offended at the Doctor's outburst.  
>"If you insist." Mace replied through gritted teeth and left the room, head held high.<p>

"Tetchy." Martha commented as Mace left, the word directed at the Doctor.  
>"Well it's true." The Doctor retorted not looking up from the device. Before Martha could comment again Gaia cut in.<br>"I'm carrying a gun." She stated the Doctor looked up slightly shocked. He knew Gaia carried a gun on her, she worked for Torchwood it was obvious, but he hadn't thought of this situation when barking at Mace.  
>"Well, er… you're you." The Doctor tried to compromise but Gaia's sceptical and unimpressed glare remained.<br>"I'm me. Right." Gaia rolled her eyes still unimpressed and slightly angry.

Gaia hadn't realised the sentiment in the Doctor's comment. Although the Doctor wouldn't admit it to himself, he had started to fall for the older gun wielding Planet Keeper and though he abhorred the use of guns, he couldn't deny the slight attraction he felt when he saw her using one.

Martha stood in the middle of this argument slightly unsure what to say. She had seen the Planet Keeper angry before, seen others who had been the focus of her anger… it was a position she hoped to never be in. Thankfully Donna came in preventing the feud from continuing further.

"Oi, you lot! All your storm troopers and you sonics… you're rubbish! Should've come with me." Donna said standing at the door.  
>"Why, where have you been?" The Doctor asked, his conversation with Gaia completely forgotten.<br>"Personnel. That's where the weird stuff's happening- in the paperwork. Cos I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfolded and the first thing I notice is an empty file." She declared and Gaia smiled, she could see why the Doctor chose her.  
>"Why, what's inside it? Or what's not inside it?" The Doctor asked again and Donna held up the empty file, revealing the sticky label on the side.<br>"Sick days." She read. "There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no one's ever sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever! They don't get ill." Donna stated and at this point Colonel Mace had returned to the room. Hearing of Donna's findings he instantly flooded to the empty folder.  
>"That can't be right." He stated.<br>"You've been checking out the building- should've been checking out the workforce." Donna stated and Gaia couldn't keep the smile off her face.  
>"I can see why he likes you." Martha said, voicing Gaia's exact thoughts. Donna nodded, taking the compliment well.<br>"You are good." Gaia added.  
>"Super temp!" Donna joked and Gaia laughed, not noticing the Doctor's expression soften at the sound of it.<br>"Doctor Jones, set up a medical post, start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through." Mace ordered and left. Martha nodded in understanding.  
>"Come one Donna. Give me a hand." Martha offered and the 2 women left.<p>

The Doctor chased after Mace down the corridor, Gaia matching his strides. "So this ATMOS thing, where did it come from?" The Doctor asked as he caught up to Mace.  
>"Luke Rattigan." Gaia answered before Mace could.<br>"Quite." Mace said through gritted teeth, slightly annoyed by the Planet Keepers input.  
>"Child genius. Invented the Foundation 6 search engine when he was 12, millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, education students, handpicked from all over the world." Gaia continued and the Doctor looked impressed.<br>"A hothouse for geniuses, wouldn't mind going there." He commented and Mace looked at him puzzled. "I get lonely." The Doctor added and Gaia snorted in laughter.

The group continued to walk down the corridor, approaching one the ATMOS' loading bays, which was currently full of UNIT vehicles. Mace had ordered that they were going to visit the Rattigan academy, much to the Doctor's displeasure. "You are not coming with me!" The Doctor exclaimed. "I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him." The Doctor continued. Mace wasn't having it though.  
>"It's ten miles out of London. How are you going to get there?" Mace asked.<br>"Well then get me a jeep!" The Doctor exclaimed patting the hood of one of the vehicles as they passed.  
>"According to records you travel by TARDIS." Mace argued.<br>"Yes, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines." The Doctor retorted and Gaia rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the conversation.  
>"Alright, down boys. Colonel as per the agreement signed by the founders of UNIT in 1968, any member of Torchwood who requires equipment, medical care, information or transport is to be allowed it from UNIT. So chop-chop." Gaia stated to the Colonel, whose lips were now clenched in a straight line.<br>"Yes ma'am." He replied, his tone strict and void of any true emotion. "Jenkins!" He called over.  
>"Sir!" A young officer replied walking over to the group.<br>"You will accompany Gaia and take orders from her." Mace ordered and Ross nodded, getting the vehicle closest to them ready for leaving. Mace then left and was shortly replaced by Donna.

"Doctor…" She called as she came running over.  
>"Oh, just in time! Come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses, what more could you ask." The Doctor replied. Gaia chuckled at the Doctor's comment and got into the vehicle, taking the seat beside Ross. She knew what was coming hence she allowed the Doctor and Donna to sit in the back together.<br>"So Ross, how long will it take us to get to the Rattigan academy?" Gaia asked the soldier sitting patiently in the driver's seat. The young man looked slightly taken aback at the fact that Gaia knew his first name, but he replied to the question none the less.  
>"About half an hour ma'am." He answered.<br>"Brilliant. We're going to need to make a slight diversion on our way, Donna wants to go back home." Gaia stated and Ross nodded, programing it into the ATMOS sat nav.  
>"Certainly ma'am." Ross replied.<br>"Don't call me ma'am it makes me feel old. Call me Gaia." Gaia whined and Ross couldn't help but slip a little smile on his lips.  
>"Certainly ma- Gaia." Ross said, correcting himself. Gaia chuckled at the soldiers slip up at Donna and the Doctor got into the jeeps.<br>"Broken moon of what?" Donna taunted as she clambered into the seat.  
>"I know, I know." The Doctor sighed a grin on his face.<p>

After dropping Donna off in Chiswick, the Doctor clambered in the front seat with Gaia. Thankfully UNIT jeeps had 3 seats up front. "UNIT's been watching Rattigan Academy for ages." Ross explained to the duo. "It's all a bit Hitler Youth: exercises at dawn classes and special diets." Ross continued and Gaia and the Doctor nodded as they took the information in.  
>"Turn left." The Sat-Nav instructed. The Doctor eyed it wearily.<br>"Ross, on question. If UNIT think ATMOS is dodgy…" The Doctor began but Ross cut him off, understanding what he was getting to.  
>"How come we're got it in the jeeps? Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them until we prove something's wrong." Ross explained and the Doctor nodded before turning to Gaia.<br>"You lot don't have this, do you?" He asked. Gaia knew he was referring to Torchwood.  
>"No." She answered. "We don't tend to listen to Whitehall anymore." Gaia continued and the Doctor nodded solemnly. Putting his arm around her he squeezed her tight, understanding perfectly why herself and Jack may not listen to Whitehall anymore. "Tell you something for nothing though." Gaia added, her tone considerably lighter and happier. "If we did have it this Sat-Nav, it would-" The Sat-Nav cut her off.<br>"Turn right."  
>"-drive me round the bend." Gaia finished and Ross snorted in laughter. It took the Doctor a second to get her incredibly obvious joke.<br>"Oh nice one!" He finally responded after it sunk in.  
>"It's a gift." Gaia proclaimed and the Doctor rolled his eyes, not noticing when Gaia leant her head on his shoulder.<br>"This is your final destination." The Sat-Nav stated.

The Rattigan Academy was big to say the least. Set in an Edwardian manor house, it was huge and Gaia couldn't help but admit- beautiful. As seen as the UNIT jeep came to a halt, Gaia and the Doctor jumped out, Ross wasn't far behind. As the Doctor and Gaia approached the main entrance to the building, avoiding the jogging students, a boy no older than 21 came to meet them. The boy just happened to be the head and founder of the academy- Luke Rattigan.

"Is it PE? I wouldn't mind a kick around; I've got my chaps on. Eh, Gaia?" The Doctor began his tone light hearted and Gaia couldn't help but smile. Rattigan didn't look amused.  
>"I suppose you're the Doctor?" He said, his tone sounding very unimpressed. It seemed the Doctor was immune to his negativity though and with a smile, he replied:<br>"Hello."  
>"Your commanding officer phoned ahead" Luke stated, his tone no different from the first time he spoke.<br>"Ah, but I haven't got a commanding officer. Have you?" The Doctor retorted and although his tone was still light, everyone could hear the seriousness in his question. Luke glared at him before turning to Gaia.  
>"And you must be Gaia." He stated. Gaia snorted a little at the lack of introduction from the boy.<br>"And you must be Luke." She replied, in the same dreary tone. Luke gave her the same look he had given the Doctor.  
>"Oh this is Ross. Say hello Ross." The Doctor said cheerfully, breaking the tension between Gaia and Luke. Ross nodded his head.<br>"Afternoon, sir." He said politely to Luke.

No longer able to stand still the Doctor rushed towards the entrance, his hand entwined with Gaia's hence he was pulling her along for the ride. "Let's have a look then, I can smell genius!" The Doctor announced gleefully. Gaia slapped the Doctor on the soldier, unable to keep the smile off her face. The Doctor pouted. "In a good way." He said honestly and he entered the building, still pulling Gaia along with him.

The couple end up in a room full to the brim with science equipment and several students working on them. Still pulling Gaia, the Doctor rushed over to one. "Oh, now! That's clever, look." The Doctor proclaimed, putting his glasses on and admiring the device.  
>"Single molecule fabric." Gaia stated looking at the device, her own tone showing that she was impressed.<br>"I know, how thin is that? You could pack a tent in a thimble." The Doctor exclaimed and another device caught his eye.

After running around, dragging Gaia and proclaiming the marvel of each machine, the Doctor finally turned to look at Luke. "Do you know, with equipment like this you could… oh, I don't know, move to another planet or something?" The Doctor asked, although it sounded more of a statement.  
>"If only that was possible." Luke replied, looking mildly surprised that the Doctor and Gaia knew what the devices did.<br>"If only that were possible." Gaia corrected.  
>"Conditional clause." The Doctor added and Luke looked darkly at the pair, definitely not appreciating the correction.<br>"I think you better follow me." Luke stated and stalked off, leaving for Gaia, the Doctor and Ross to follow him.

The quartet end up in, what they presume to be, Luke's office. I large and spacious unlike the cramped lab and there is a large teleport device in the corner, noticed and understood by both Gaia and the Doctor.  
>"You're smarter than the usual UNIT grunts, I'll give you that." Luke stated and Gaia rose her eyebrow at the comment.<br>"Don't call Ross a grunt…" Gaia started angrily.  
>"…he's nice. We like Ross." The Doctor finished, although his tone wasn't as angry as Gaia's. "Look at this place." The Doctor continued, going to wander off around the room, leaving Gaia to glare at Luke.<p>

"The ATMOS device, amazing piece of technology, don't you think Honey?" Gaia asked, her eyes never leaving Luke.  
>"Inspiring." The Doctor replied now turning to face Gaia, leaning up on the desk behind him.<br>"But the funny thing is, there's no way you invented this single handed." Gaia stated and Luke started to fume. "I mean, it might be Earth technology, but that's like finding a mobile in the Middle Ages." Gaia stated and the Doctor rolled his eyes.  
>"Once, I did that once." He argued waggling his finger at her. "Alright, unfortunately accurate metaphors aside. Do you know what it's really like? It's like finding this in the middle of someone's front room." The Doctor said walking over to the teleport device in the corner of the room.<br>"What is it?" Ross asked.  
>"Yeah just looks like a thing, doesn't it? People don't question things, they say `oh, it's just a thing`." The Doctor answered.<br>"Leave it alone!" Luke shouted. The Doctor ignores him and walks into the device.  
>"Me, well us." The Doctor began gesturing to Gaia. "We make these connections. And this, to us, looks like…" The Doctor disappeared before he could finish the sentence.<p>

Ross looked gobsmacked and Luke looked peed off. "He'll be back in a moment." Gaia stated. Ross tore his gaze from where the Doctor had disappeared from over to her and nodded. 2 seconds later the Doctor reappeared and ran towards the group.  
>"Ross, get out! Luke, you've got to come with me!" He exclaimed as he ran over to them, but he wasn't quick enough. Behind he came another figure, a being of a much smaller stature and wearing an armour Gaia recognised instantly.<br>"Sontaran." She breathed rolling her eyes, trust the Doctor to annoy one of them. The Doctor fused the teleport, leaving the Sontaran trapped. Ross takes aim beside the Doctor, something Gaia hadn't done because she knew it was futile to do.  
>"I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." Ross barked and the Doctor shot him down, metaphorically speaking.<br>"Well that's not going to work. Cordolaine signal, am I right? Copper excitation stopping the bullets." The Doctor explained.  
>"How do you know so much?" The Sontaran demanded.<br>"Well…" The Doctor dragged, playing with the tennis racket and ball he had pulled from somewhere.  
>"Who is he?" The Sontaran asked Luke. Luke very worriedly replied that he didn't know.<br>"This isn't typical Sontaran behaviour, is it? Hiding! Using teenagers, stopping bullets?" Gaia stated, her arms folded. The Doctor couldn't help but smile at her taunts.  
>"A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity! Shame on you!" The Doctor added getting a snort of laughter out of Gaia.<br>"You dishonour me!" The Sontaran stated angrily.  
>"Yeah, then show yourself!" The Doctor argued.<br>"I will look into my enemies' eyes!" The Sontaran declared and took of his helmet, revealing a brown, wrinkly, rounded head.

"Oh my god…" Ross muttered, shocked at the Sontaran appearance.  
>"And you name?" Gaia asked.<br>"General Staal, of the tenth Sontaran fleet. Staal the Undefeated!" The Sontaran, Staal, declared. The Doctor snorted.  
>"Well that's not a very good nickname. What if you get defeated? Staal the Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Never-Mind?" The Doctor joked and Gaia sniggered.<br>"He's like a potato- a baked potatoe- a talking baked potato." Ross gaped and Gaia couldn't help but give him credit for the amusing imagery.  
>"Now, Ross, don't be rude. You look like a pink weasel to him." Gaia commented. The Doctor, who is now standing beside her, started to bounce the tennis ball on his racket.<br>"The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy, dedicated to a life of warfare." The Doctor began.  
>"There keeper had some issues." Gaia added and the Doctor nodded in agreement at her statement.<br>"They're a clone race, grown in batches of millions with only one weakness…" The Doctor continued. Gaia rolled her eyes, of course he would provoke it.  
>"Sontarans have no weakness." Staal argued.<br>"No, it's a good weakness." The Doctor whined.  
>"How's this poking it with a stick attempt going Honey?" Gaia asked the Doctor sarcastically. The Doctor shrugged.<br>"Pretty good…" He replied. "Anyway! Sontarans are fed by a probic vent in the back of their necks, that's their weak spot. Which means, they always have to face their enemies in battle… isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs!" The Doctor explained; Staal looked angry.  
>"We stare into the face of death!" He chanted. Gaia went pft, as the Doctor responded.<br>"Yeah? Well, stare at this!" The Doctor stated and whacked the tennis ball, it bounced off the teleport and hit the Sontaran in the back of the neck, causing it too fall to its need. Without needing to be told, the Doctor, Gaia and Ross ran out of the room and back to the jeep.

After escaping the school, not drowning to death by a haywire ATMOS and a rather lengthy walk, the Doctor and Gaia approached the front door of the Noble household. Donna opened the door, shocked to see them both standing there. "You would not believe the day we're having." The Doctor proclaimed and Donna looked dumbstruck.

Several minutes later, after a lengthy explanation about what had happened at the school, the Doctor and Gaia were checking Donna's car and the installed ATMOS device. "I'll requisition us a vehicle." Ross stated and started to walk down the road.  
>"Anything without ATMOS!" Gaia yelled after him.<br>"And don't point your gun at people!" The Doctor added with a shout, Gaia rolled her eyes at his comment. From behind Donna an elder man came running out.  
>"Is it him? Is it him? Is it the Doctor?" The man yelled, Gaia was too enthralled by the potentially life threatening ATMOS to find out who it was. The Doctor popped up from underneath the car to meet the man. "Ah it's you!" The Man went as the Doctor appeared.<br>"Who?" Gaia said popping her head out from beneath the hood.  
>"And you!" The man stated. Gaia managed to figure out that the man was Wilfred Mott, Donna's grandfather. Albeit knowing this, she still didn't know the man… so how did he know her?<br>"Oh it's you!" The Doctor exclaimed obviously recognising the man.  
>"What have you met before?" Donna asked shocked.<br>"Yeah Christmas Eve. He disappeared right in front of me! And then she came along a little later with a guy and bought a paper." Wilf explained.  
>"And you never said!" Donna exclaimed.<br>"Well you never said!" Wilf retorted. "Wif, Wilfred Mott. You must be one of them aliens?" Wilf said introducing himself to the Doctor and Gaia.  
>"Well- yeah, but don't shout it out." The Doctor replied a smile on his face and shook Wilf's hand. Gaia then shook it.<p>

The Doctor then turned to Gaia. "Guy huh?" He stated, his tone sounding almost disappointed.  
>"Ermm, well… I haven't actually done that yet, so I haven't a clue what he's on about." Gaia explained and the Doctor nodded. He didn't bring it up again.<p>

After a rather awkward phone call with Martha, both of whom the Doctor and Gaia could tell wasn't the real person, the duo got back to working on the car. "But you tried sonicing it before, you didn't find anything." Donna stated.  
>"Yeah, but now I know its Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for." The Doctor explained. Donna then turned to Gaia.<br>"You being awfully quiet." She commented. "You always get some snarky comment in on the Doctor." Donna continued. Gaia brushed her hands off on her trousers and turned to Donna about to reply, but the Doctor interrupted her.  
>"She hasn't done that yet Donna." He stated not taking his eye off the ATMOS.<br>"What? But you don't look any different." Donna said shocked. "You said you'd be much younger!" Donna proclaimed. Gaia shrugged.  
>"I don't age as fast as most people." Gaia stated.<br>"I bloody envy you right now." Donna stated and Gaia laughed.

All of a sudden the Doctor hits the right setting and spikes shoot out of the ATMOS. "Woah! It's a temporal pocket! I knew there was something else in there. It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time." The Doctor rambled.  
>"But what's it hiding?" Gaia asked, approaching the Doctor's side and as the last word left her lips the ATMOS started to spew white gas.<br>"Get back!" The Doctor shouted pulling Gaia away from the car. Pointing his sonic back at the ATMOS the gas stopped and everyone gasped for clean air. "That'll stop it!" The Doctor proclaimed and Gaia nodded heading back towards the hood of the car once the gas had cleared.  
>"That wasn't just exhaust fumes… some sort of gas. Artificial gas." Gaia stated turning to look at the Doctor worriedly.<br>"But if it's poisonous… then we've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth." Donna stated morbidly and Gaia gulped.

Before anyone could react Wilf jumped into the car. "It's not safe! I'm gonna get it off the street!" He stated not noticing the doors lock behind him. Suddenly the gas begins again, filling up the car as well as being released from the exhaust.  
>"Hold on!" The Doctor said starting to fiddle with his sonic. Gaia started to wrench at all the doors, whilst Donna banged on the window.<br>"Turn it off! Grandad, get out of there!" Donna yelled. Wilf held up the keys on the inside of the car.  
>"I can't. It's not locked." He stated.<br>"Doctor, Gaia, he's going to choke!" Donna yelled at them both desperately.  
>"It won't open." Gaia stated and the Doctor saw all the other cars start to billow gas as well.<br>"It's the whole world…" The Doctor muttered.  
>"Get me out of here!" Wilf shouted banging on the window.<p> 


	21. The Poison Sky

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: Here it is! I can't make any promises about next week's chapter though unfortunately. I have PROM! I'm so excited. Also, I know the Doctor and Donna especially may seem a bit OC in this chapter but form their point of view they've known Gaia for quite a while and to find out she could do certain things is a shock, a big shock for them. Anyhoo, hope you like and thanks for all the reviews so far. They mean a lot...**

"He's going to choke!" Donna cried desperately, switching between hammering on the window and wrenching at the door handle. The Doctor was stood by the hood of the car, his sonic trained on the ATMOS device. The Timelord was trying profusely to find the `off switch` in the device. Gaia stood there watching the scene from afar.

"Come on, think." Gaia muttered to herself. She needed an idea or Donna's grandfather would end up falling unconscious… or worse. Gaia could already feel the rising death toll of humans worldwide as they began to choke on the gas, but she couldn't dwell on it; she needed to help Donna's grandfather.  
>"It won't open!" The Doctor exclaimed now at Donna's side he was fruitlessly sonicing the lock and groove of the car door. Gaia then had an idea.<p>

Focusing all her attention on the lock in the door she honed in on the natural alloys found within the mechanism. By being linked with the Earth she was, in a sense, a part of it and it a part of her. Hence though a lot of control and power, she could manipulate them.

Locating the natural alloys, she caused them to expand. Due to the expanding metal the car door was forced open, sending the Doctor and Donna flying back into the road. They were all, including Wilf, thankfully unharmed though. Unfortunately even at her age, Gaia's control wasn't exceptional and every other car door in the street had opened as well.

Ignoring the odd looks from both the Doctor and Donna, both of whom were on the ground shocked at the doors sudden explosion, Gaia ran over to Wilf and helped him out of the car. "Get inside the house. Try and close off the windows and doors." Gaia instructed and Wilf nodded, running over to the house. Gaia then turned to face the Doctor and Donna, both of whom were still on the floor.

Walking over to the pair Gaia offered them a hand each. They accepted and thanks to her Planet Keeper strength, Gaia pulled them to their feet. "Come on, world to save." Gaia stated a soft smile on her face.  
>"But how?" The Doctor asked for once lost for words. He had known Gaia for an awfully long time, thought he knew everything about her, but he had no idea she was capable of something like this.<p>

Thankfully for Gaia, Ross pulled up in a black cab before Gaia could respond. "Gaia, Doctor! This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS." Ross informed them. This seemed to break the Doctor out of his shocked state and made a run for the cab, Gaia on his tail and Donna not far behind. As they all took their seats, Ross sped on heading back to the ATMOS factory.

The car ride was awkward to say the least. Gaia had been forced to sit in one of the backward facing seats allowing the Doctor and Donna to gawp at her.  
>"How did you do it?" The Doctor asked curiously.<br>"Errr…" Gaia started. She hated explaining this about herself, she always felt awkward doing it. She was, however, mildly surprised that the Doctor didn't already know, although the Planet Keeper as a species were good at keeping their secrets.

"I can control anything from the Earth. So I err, made the natural alloys in the car's locking mechanism expand, forcing the car door to open." Gaia explained. The Doctor nodded, taking it all in with a look of understanding.  
>"That makes sense; given your telepathic and sentinel link to the planet a telekinetic one should have really been expected." The Doctor stated saying his thoughts allowed. Donna on the other hand looked the total opposite.<br>"What do you mean `control anything from Earth`? You can't control humans can you?" Donna asked her voice raised in shock. Gaia nodded and Donna looked genuinely scared. "But… but that's wrong. No should have that kind of power. You could… I dunno… make someone do anything." Donna panicked looking between the Doctor and Gaia. Gaia's eyebrows rose, she had had many reactions when telling people of her origins and abilities, this one was new and quite frankly it peed her off.

"And you Donna Noble have the power to kill a man and you do not. Do you have any idea what it's like to be me, billions of voices running constantly through your head? No you don't and guess what, amongst those billions you're one of them. I've known you since the day you were born and I'll know you until the day you die, so don't you dare believe you can tell me the consequences of my abilities. Now if you are quite done with telling me things I already damn well know, I'm going to find Martha." Gaia stated angrily and stormed out of the cab, which, unnoticed by the Doctor and Donna, had arrived back at the ATMOS factory.

Donna turned around to face the Doctor, a look of shock and slight fear etched onto her features. The Doctor patted her on the back. "Her bark's worse than her bite." He reassured and climbed over her out of the cab, completely ignoring the door on his side of the cab.

Gaia was still fuming as she made her way down to the bottom levels of the ATMOS building. She had had enough lecturing from Jack over the years about her abilities, never mind the strict rules on Starnet. For once she would like someone to treat her her age… well maybe not her age, an adult would be nice though. Taking a deep breath she got back to the matter at hand, finding Martha.

The corridor Gaia found herself in was surprisingly empty. Obviously being taken by the Sontarans Gaia expected some sort of guards, even primitive Sontaran drones… but there was nothing and that worried Gaia. Pulling out her Torchwood standard gun, Gaia made her way down to the only door in the corridor, making sure to check out every alcove before she reached it. There was nothing. Hence without a hesitation she grabbed the handle on the door and swung it open. She gasped with what she saw inside.

Martha was strapped to a metal mesh, a large helmet device on her head and several tubes running from her arms. Next to her was a large vat of… something and next to that… another harness.

Ignoring the other harness, Gaia ran over to Martha and checked over the young medic. She was alright, thankfully, just unconscious. Gaia sighed and stood up; she would have unplugged Martha from that god awful machine now, but with it connecting directly to her brain, who knew what the result of unplugging her prematurely could be. So Gaia decided to investigate the vat at the centre of the room. It was filled with a grey viscose substance that bubbled as if someone was breathing beneath the surface. Gaia could not detect any human life within the substance, yet its appearance and existence did make her shiver.

Suddenly from behind her, the standard sound of a teleport made itself known. Whirling around with her gun drawn, Gaia aimed at the short blue armoured figure that had appeared. "You are as stupid as you look." The dwarfed being stated. Gaia smirked.  
>"Says the pint size walking talking potato." Gaia retorted with a smile, gun now back in it's holster. She hated to admit it but the potato was right, her gun was useless.<br>"You dishonour me." The Sontaran replied angrily and removed his helmet. "You would certainly make a nice trophy for my war successes." The Sontaran started and Gaia's eyebrows rose.  
>"Trophy? You plan on killing me?" She asked incredulously.<br>"It would be an honour to kill the last Planet Keeper, but I have my orders." The Sontaran stated and Gaia suddenly felt a sharp stab in the side of her neck. Her eyes started to droop. "To win the war." The Sontaran finished, watching with a twisted grin as Gaia fell to the floor. Blackness was then all she knew.

The Doctor and the Martha clone ran back into the ATMOS base, the TARDIS they had discovered had been taken by the Sontarans, Donna along with it, although the latter had been told that the feisty red-head had in fact gone home. "Change of plan!" The Doctor announced.  
>"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor." Colonel Mace said almost joyfully, the Doctor shook his head.<br>"I'm not fighting. I'm not-fighting, as in not hyphen fighting, got it? No, does anyone know what this gas is yet?" The Doctor asked and a voice he least expected answered.  
>"An unknown compound, that's toxic but not lethal until it reaches 80% density." The voice answered. The Doctor whirled around to see Gaia standing at the door to the control centre. Something was wrong though.<br>"Finding mission go well?" He asked. Gaia shook her head and walked over to him.  
>"No honey, I didn't find her." She replied and kissed him on the cheek, much to the shock of everyone in the room. The Doctor couldn't help the blush that reddened his cheeks, but he quickly steadied himself with the task at hand.<p>

"A signal has been traced sir, coming from 5000 miles above the Earth. We're guessing that's what triggered the cars." An officer sitting at the desk informed the Doctor. Gaia went and stood beside Martha, watching the scene with the same glee Martha was.  
>"The Sontaran ship." The Doctor stated and the officer nodded.<br>"NATO has gone to Defcon One, we're preparing a strike." Colonel Mace stated and the Doctor looked horrified.  
>"You can't do that; nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface. Let me talk to the Sontarans." The Doctor said, he wasn't asking. "Tell them Gaia, there your humans." The Doctor implored. Gaia's expression remained rather passive and she shrugged her shoulders.<br>"I can't stop them Honey. You might as well let them get on with it." Gaia replied to the Doctor. The Doctor's eyebrows rose, Gaia's last comment had confirmed his hypothesis. Unfortunately, solving it would have to wait.

"You are not authorised to speak on behalf of Earth." Mace stated and the Doctor shook his head starting to fiddle with the controls on the front panel.  
>"I've got that authority; I earned that a long time ago." The Doctor replied almost smug. He then soniced the monitor and opened a connection with the Sontaran ship. "Calling the Sontaran command ship under jurisdiction two of the intergalactic rules of engagement. This is the Doctor."<p>

The Sontarans then appeared on the large monitor in the centre of the base. "Doctor, breathing your last?" The Sontaran answered, whom the Doctor recognised as General Staal. The Doctor leant back on the work surface behind him, his posture incredibly relaxed.  
>"So tell me General Staal, since when did you lot become cowards?" The Doctor asked casually, his methods of diplomacy somewhat questionable.<br>"Doctor you impugn my honour!" Staal retorted angrily.  
>"Yeah, I'm really glad you didn't say belittle 'cos then I'd have a field day." The Doctor joked. He couldn't help catching Gaia in the corner of his eye; he had some hope she would laugh at that. She didn't.<p>

"But poison gas?" The Doctor continued mocking the Sontarans. "That's the weapon of a coward and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky and yet you're sitting up above watching it die. Where's the fight in that? Where's the honour? Or, are you lot planning something else? 'Cos this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?" The Doctor asked, his tone anything but nice.  
>"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces." Staal declared and the Doctor found the answer he was looking for.<br>"Aaah, the war's not going so well then?" The Doctor provoked and the Sontarans reputed.

The clone Gaia watched the interaction of her Sontaran masters and the enemy, the Doctor. She knew her production had gone wrong some where. She was missing key information and memories in her brain, as well as 2 hearts. But the device her master's had produced her from was made for human replication, not Planet Keeper, thankfully for an enemy such as the Doctor, appearances where the most important. The Doctor was clueless as to the real Planet Keeper's disappearance and Clone Gaia could feel the strong emotions and attachment the real Gaia felt for the Doctor, as long as she continued to play with that aspect of the mission, her masters' plan would succeed indefinitely.

"Finished?" The Doctor asked the Sontarans, they had answered one of his questions with their war cry.  
>"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you'll see out prize. Behold!" The Sontaran gestured behind him and the Tardis was brought into view. "We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS." Staal continued, boasting his achievement.<br>"Well. As prizes go, that's noble." The Doctor began, for some reason, unknown to both clones and UNIT personnel in the room, he was speaking very slowly. "As they say in Latin, Donna nobispacem." He then seemed to pause for a moment a deliberate what he was going to say, before starting, what it seemed to everyone else, to ramble. "Did you never wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like if only we could communicate. You and I." He continued, before the Sontarans interrupted him.  
>"All you have communicated is your distress, Doctor." Staal stated, but the Doctor seemed to brush off the comment.<br>"Big mistake though. Showing it to me." The Doctor stated and lifted his sonic screwdriver into view. "'Cos I've got the remote control." The image instantly cut, the Sontarans cutting the transmission.  
>"That's achieved nothing!" Mace declared and the Doctor looked at him cheerfully.<br>"Oh, you'd be surprised." The Doctor replied throwing a smile in Martha's and Gaia's direction, both of whom failed to return it.

After a failed nuclear attack, stopped by clone Martha's PDA and the death of Ross against the Sontarans, Colonel Mace had just left the UNIT base aimed at finding something to penetrate the Cordolaine signal and the Doctor had left for another room, leaving clone Martha and clone Gaia alone. "How are we doing?" Clone Gaia asked; Clone Martha replied recognising Clone Gaia as her superior.  
>"Nuclear attacks are at 0, the humans and the Doctor are no closer to finding out what the gas is and its density is at 75%." Clone Martha reported and Clone Gaia nodded.<br>"And the Doctor is unaware of the human's or Planet Keepers capture?" Clone Gaia added.  
>"I do not know. He seems unaware but the Doctor is a known liar." Clone Martha answered and Clone Gaia nodded.<br>"Perhaps a distraction will pull him off course." Clone Gaia stated and left Clone Martha on her own.

Clone Gaia found the Doctor quite easily, he seemed to be on the phone upon her approach, but quickly hung up before she could hear what he was saying. "What you up to Honey?" She asked sickenly sweet, now perched beside him on the desk.  
>"Thinking." He replied ruefully. "What could the Sontarans be using the gas for?" He thought aloud. Clone Gaia shrugged and leant her head on his shoulder, her face against his neck. She could feel him tense with the feeling of her breath on his skin and although she leant on him, he didn't put an arm around her.<br>"You okay Honey? You seem a bit tense." She stated softly and planted a peck on his neck. It was instantly covered in goose bumps.  
>"No-" The Doctor chocked as she kissed him again, this time a little closer to his ear. He couldn't help but shiver. "I'm fine." He said awkwardly as Clone Gaia continued the trail of kisses.<p>

The Doctor was torn. He couldn't deny that he was enjoying this immensely, Gaia kissing him, but it wasn't Gaia. And he had to keep reminding himself of that fact. Gaia was some where in the factory with Martha, not here. This was Clone. But as the Clone started to nibble on his ear lobe he could feel his resolve starting to splinter. Thankfully this was when Colonel Mace stepped back into the base.

The Doctor sprung up onto his feet in an instant, ignoring the whines of protest out of the Clone Gaia. "Got to go." He declared and walked into the next room where the Colonel was. Gaia followed him.  
>"Counter-attack!" Colonel Mace declared to the base and people sprung into action.<br>"I said you don't stand a chance." The Doctor argued, Mace ignored him.  
>"Positions. That means everyone!" Mace ordered and threw a gas mask at Clone Gaia and the Doctor.<br>"You're not going without me!" Clone Martha stated and the Doctor smirked.  
>"Wouldn't dream of it." He responded and left the base, followed swiftly by the clones.<p>

Outside Colonel Mace tried to explain the new arsenal now at UNIT's disposal. The Doctor wasn't really interested. "Latest firing stock, what do you think, Doctor?" Mace asked his voice slightly muffled beneath his gas mask.  
>"Are you my mummy?" The Doctor jested, although no-one understood the relevance of the joke.<br>"If you could concentrate." The Colonel implored. "Bullets with a rad-steel coating, no copper surface. Should overcome the Cordolaine signal." Mace declared.  
>"But the Sontarans have got lasers! You can't even see in this fog, the night-vision doesn't work." The Doctor argued, but Mace wasn't having any of it.<br>"Thank you Doctor, thank you for your lack of faith. But this time, I'm not listening." Mace then took of his gas mask and turned to the gathered UNIT soldiers. "Attention, all troops. Sontarans might think of us as primitive, as does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more! From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back and we show them! We show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do!" Mace shouted and then turned to his radio. "Trap One to Hawk Major! Go, go, go!" He ordered.

From above the group a large shadow started to fall across them and the sound of engines filled the air. With a great gust of wind, the fog started to clear and the carrier ship Valiant came into view. From then on the battle began, the Sontarans over powered by the UNIT forces, although the Doctor decided to take a detour. "Shouldn't we follow the Colonel?" Clone Martha asked and the Doctor shook his head.  
>"Nah, You, Gaia and Me, Martha Jones. Just like old times." He stated and led the way with his sonic screwdriver. Neither Clone looked very pleased; this was not going to their plan.<p>

The trio entered the basement corridor, the corridor the real Gaia had found herself in not too long ago. Similar to earlier, the corridor was deserted. "No Sontarans down here. They can't resist a battle. Here we go." The Doctor said happily, his sonic whirring even louder as they go close to the door. As they entered the room, the Doctor pocketed his sonic and ran over to Gaia. "Oh Gaia, I'm so sorry." He said and checked for her pulse. Behind him he could hear the sound of the safety being removed on a gun.  
>"Am I supposed to be impressed?" He asked incredulously, he doesn't even turn round to face her.<br>"Wish you carried a gun now?" The Clone Gaia asked.  
>"Not at all." The Doctor replied and looked over to Martha, the real Martha, also in the same state as Gaia.<br>"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time." The Martha clone declared and the Doctor rounded to face her, but he put himself behind Gaia's head pieced.  
>"Doing exactly what I wanted. I need to stop the missiles, just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're triple agents!" He replied seriously.<br>"When did you know?" Clone Gaia asked almost curiously.  
>"What you 2? Oh, right form the start. Reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple, not to mention the single heart. And frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a T-shirt saying `clone`. Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack. You remember him, don't you? 'Cos you've got all their memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect them, to keep you 2 inside UNIT. They're keeping you alive." The Doctor explained and he pulled the head piece of Gaia's head. The Clone dropped to floor, gun clattering beside her. The Doctor than ran over to Martha and pulled her head set off to. Luckily, the Martha clone fell in pain just before it got its hand around the gun.<p>

"It's all right. I'm here." The Doctor reassured, Martha as she grasped at his shirt in fear. The Doctor looked up at Gaia, who was also gasping for breath but otherwise seemed okay.  
>"There was this thing, Doctor, this alien, with this head…" Martha rambled, but was interrupted by the sound of a phone. The Doctor answered.<p>

Meanwhile Gaia desperately tried to catch her breath. That had not been a pleasant experience. But now she couldn't help but keep her eyes on her clone, leaning on the beam in front her, panting for breath. Gaia, now with steady hearts and a relaxed breath, released herself from the harness and made her way over to her clone. Slowly she brushed a bit of the clone's hair out of it's face and was incredibly surprised to find out it was human. "One heart." She muttered. The Clone flinched away from her touch.  
>"Get away." The clone rasped, her threat falling short.<br>"I'm sorry." Gaia said honestly and the Clone clutched her chest, her eyes meeting Gaia's.  
>"It's so loud." The Clone muttered and Gaia nodded. Someone finally understood.<br>"I know." Gaia reassured. "It'll quieten down soon."  
>"Why didn't you tell them?" The Clone asked.<br>"Tell them what?" Gaia replied confused.  
>"You knew that the gas was Clone feed from the beginning. Yet you never told him. Why?" The Clone questioned.<br>"This is fixed, you must now that. We can't see time, but we can't interfere where we like. Fixed points are emblazed in are minds, the voices quite often converging upon them." Gaia answered. The Clone clutched at her chest tighter, not giving any other recollection that she took the information in.  
>"Tick tock, goes the clock, even for the Doctor." The Clone sung with her final breath and Gaia froze in fear. With a final sigh, the clone's eyes fluttered closed and she died.<p>

Bypassing the Clones final words, Gaia kissed the other woman on the head and walked over to the Doctor, not looking back. "Now!" The Doctor yelled and pointed his screwdriver at the teleport pod in the corner of the room. A rather shocked looking Donna appeared in it with a blue light, and instant ran over to hug the Doctor.  
>"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" Donna asked her tone over joyed.<br>"Hold on, hold on. Get off me, get off me! Gotta bring the Tardis down." The Doctor stated and soniced the teleport again. With a bleep on the screwdriver he knows she's back in her rightful place.  
>"Right now Martha, Gaia you coming?" The Doctor asked.<br>"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha asked as she brought out her bleeping PDA.  
>"Just keep pressing N, we want to keep those missiles on the ground." The Doctor answered and Martha nodded. Donna then noticed the dead clones.<br>"There's… two of them." Donna uttered in shock and the Doctor sighed.  
>"Yeah, long story." He stated and pulled them to the teleport pod. They all crammed inside. "Here we go. The old team, back together. Well, the new team." He amended.<br>"We're not going back on that ship!" Donna argued obviously spooked.  
>"No, no. I need to get the teleport working so that we could get to…" the Doctor began and activated the teleport.<p>

"…here! The Rattigan Academy." The Doctor declared.  
>"Owned by…" Gaia added. Luke was standing in front of the pod, gun trained on the quartet. The Doctor walked up to him and grabbed the gun out of his hold, lobbing it across the room.<br>"If I see one more gun…" The Doctor declared. Gaia cleared her throat and the Doctor gulped. "Not being held by you." He amended with a slight blush and Gaia rolled her eyes. Donna and Martha chuckled behind them.

"Err… I'm sorry y'know for what I said in the cab." Donna said honestly, apologising wasn't something Donna did often.  
>"Don't worry about it." Gaia replied, but Donna grabbed her arm not satisfied with Gaia's response.<br>"No, but I really am. The Doctor told me some things when you were looking for Martha and I'm sorry for what I said. It was wrong." Donna said earnestly. Gaia smiled at Donna.  
>"Honestly Donna, it's alright. You were forgiven more or less as soon as I stepped out the cab." Gaia stated and that seemed to appease Donna.<p>

Now in the lab with the Doctor, they watched as he began to assemble some sort of device. "That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles, they were holding back. Because, caesofine gas is volatile, that why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground-to-air engagement could've sparked the whole thing off." The Doctor explained as he ran around looking for a long cylinder. Gaia handed it to him and he got back to work.  
>"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asked.<br>"Yeah, they need all the gas intact to breed their clone army." Gaia explained and the Doctor nodded in agreement as he worked.  
>"And all the time we had Luke here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?" He asked incredulously. Luke looked defeated.<br>"They promised me a new world." He admitted. Gaia wanted to comfort the boy but was too occupied helping the Doctor to do so.  
>"You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe the air with this! An atmospheric converter." The Doctor finished with a flourish, the device was ready. Picking it up he ran outside, the others all promptly followed.<p>

"That's London. You can't even see it. My family's in there." Donna gasped as she saw the shrouded city. Gaia patted her on the arm.  
>"Don't worry Donna, there fine." She reassured and Donna nodded. The Doctor had placed the converter in the centre of the courtyard, now fiddling with the settings.<br>"Doctor hold on, you said the atmosphere would ignite." Martha stated.  
>"Yeah I did, didn't I?" The Doctor replied and slammed the button in his hand, sending a flame into the clouds.<p>

The sky ignited in flame. It rolled across the sky like rain on a window, removing all the gas and leaving a blue sky in its wake. "He's a genius." Luke stated happily.  
>"Just brilliant." Martha murmured and Gaia could feel most of the planet thinking the exact same thing.<br>"Now we're in trouble." The Doctor stated and he picked up the device and ran back into Luke's office. Halfway there he stopped suddenly and turned to Gaia. Knowing that she would stop him, he executed his only choice. "I'm sorry for this." He said honestly and slammed his forehead into hers. Gaia slumped to the floor unconscious.

When Gaia comes around a few minutes later, her head is throbbing. "I'm going to kill him." She seethed and got slowly to her feet. Stumbling her way down the corridor she made it to Luke's office. She was surprised to see Martha, Donna and the Doctor sat on the edge of the teleport, a look of relief on their faces and Luke no where in sight. Sighing she slid to the ground, her head still spinning. She then leant back against the wall and closed her eyes. It was done.

A little later Gaia found herself on the TARDIS with the Doctor and Martha. They were currently talking about Martha's run in with Torchwood, but both women had decided to give the Doctor a somewhat watered down version of the tale of events concerning Owen's death. It was at the end of their story that Donna walked in.  
>"How where they?" Martha asked everyone noting that Donna had been and currently was crying.<br>"Oh same old stuff." She replied trying to sound casual. "They're fine. So! You two gonna come with us? We're not exactly short of space." Donna offered and both Martha and Gaia shook their heads.  
>"Oh I have missed all this, but you know. I'm good here. Back at home and I'm better for having been away. Besides someone needs me." Martha joked waggling her engagement ring. Donna turned to Gaia.<br>"I would love to. But we had a somewhat disaster wedding quite recently that we need to tidy up." Gaia stated and the Doctor came into her eye line, looking a mixture between shock, confused and upset. Gaia shook her head. "It's wasn't my wedding." She implored and everyone took a sigh in relief.

Before anyone else could say anything more though, the door of the TARDIS slammed shut. The Doctor ran back over to the console to see what was going on.  
>"What?" He spluttered.<br>"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha shouted.  
>"No, no. I didn't touch anything! We're in flight, it's not me!" The Doctor replied also shouting over the noise of the TARDIS.<br>"Where are we going?" Gaia shouted her voice somewhat calmer than the others.  
>"I don't know it's out of control!" The Doctor answered.<br>"Doctor just listen to me. You take me home, take me home right now!" Martha yelled…


	22. The Doctor's Daughter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: Done! I have just finished this chapter and haven't proof read it so i'm sorry if they're any grammar or spelling errors. Thank you for the continued support of this story via reviews, alerts, favourites, ect. It really means a lot and really makes my day when I see one. So thank you! :) x**

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><p><strong>Year 2015- TARDIS<strong>

The 11th Doctor was sat in his study, his wife Gaia in his lap and a photo album in hand. They were both reminiscing of the companions and adventures of their past, something they didn't do often. Sitting, well lying, on the couch a short distance away from them was their eldest daughter. She too had a book in hand but her concentration in the text was beginning to waiver as her eyes started to droop. After the girl's 5th yawn Gaia had had enough.

"Alright time for bed Mrs." Gaia stated scaring their daughter awake.  
>"I'm not tired though." Their daughter proclaimed; both the Doctor and Gaia raised their eyebrows at the blatant lie. "Fine." She conceded knowing full well that she would lose if she tried to argue her parents. The girl heaved herself off of the couch and stumbled over to her parents. She gave them both a hug. "Night." She said as she kissed them both on the cheek.<br>"G'night." The Doctor replied not able to truly convey how much their daughter's simple gesture of saying goodnight meant to him.  
>"Good night Jenny." Gaia said and watched as her eldest living daughter shuffled to her bed.<br>**  
>Year 2008- TARDIS<strong>

The 10th Doctor clung tightly to Tardis console as the time machine span wildly out of control. "What the hell is it doing?" Donna yelled as she too hung onto the Tardis. Gaia tried to fiddle with one of the controls, trying anything to stable the flight.  
>"Controls aren't working!" She proclaimed trying to regain her grip. The console sparked as the Doctor tried to fiddle with the controls causing the Tardis to jolt and him to fall to the floor.<br>"I don't know where we're going but my old hand's very excited about it!" The Doctor stated, watching as his jarred hand bubbled wildly.  
>"I thought that was just some weird freaky alien thing! You telling me it's yours?" Donna shouted to him in shock.<br>"Well…" The Doctor dragged as she pulled himself back to his feet.  
>"It got cut off. He grew a new one." Martha answered.<br>"You are completely, impossible!" Donna yelled to the Doctor.  
>"Not impossible, just a bit unlikely." Gaia answered for the Doctor and the Doctor couldn't help but grin in agreement.<p>

With a last explosion the Tardis gave a large jolt, sending all its occupants to the floor. The Doctor was the first to arise, with Gaia a close second and both of them ran to the Tardis door. Exiting the blue time machine, they found that it had landed in an underground tunnel of sorts. "Why would the TARDIS bring us here?" The Doctor asked and Gaia shrugged.  
>"Something's wrong though." Gaia stated.<br>"I know, the Tardis just went awol on me. Not that it hasn't happened before mind…" The Doctor rambled but Gaia cut him off.  
>"No, not with the TARDIS, the planet. It's like… I don't know, like there's no soul, no natural life… oh my god, there's no keeper." Gaia gasped and the Doctor looked up at her in shock.<p>

Martha and Donna stepped out the TARDIS behind them.  
>"Oh, I love this bit." Martha said excitedly. Donna looked at her knowingly.<br>"Thought you wanted to go home." Donna commented and Martha shrugged.  
>"I know, but all the same." Martha started and at this point the Doctor and Gaia were riffling through the junk they seemed to be surrounded by. Gaia suddenly looked up and into the distance, her above average hearing having heard something approaching. "It's that feeling you get…" Martha continued and now both Donna and Martha looked up having heard something oncoming. The sight of soldiers comes into the eye sight.<br>"Like you swallowed a hamster?" Donna asked a mixture between sarcasm and fear.

The soldiers surrounded the Tardis crew, their weapons aimed at their heads. "Don't move, stay where you are! Drop your weapons." One of the male soldiers ordered. Everyone raised their hands, Gaia somewhat slowly hoping not to reveal her gun and holster in her jacket.  
>"We're not armed. Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe." The Doctor stated, although he knew it was probably a lie what with Gaia standing next to him.<br>"Look at their hands. They're clean." Another soldier stated and the Doctor eyed them confused.  
>"Alright, process them! Those two first." The original male soldier stated pointing to Gaia and the Doctor. The 4 soldiers who had accompanied the male surrounded both the Doctor and Gaia and force them towards a machine.<br>"Oi, oi! What's wrong with clean hands?" Gaia demanded.  
>"What's going on?" Martha shouted in protest as did Donna. Unfortunately their protests did little good and both the Doctor's and Gaia's hands were forced into the machine.<p>

In unison the Doctor and Gaia yelled in pain. "This isn't going to check our blood pressure is it?" Gaia asked the Doctor gritting her teeth, the Doctor shook his head. They yelled in pain.  
>"What're you doing to them?" Donna demanded angrily.<br>"Everyone gets processed." The male soldier stated and Donna turned back to face the in pain Doctor and Gaia.  
>"It's taken a tissue sample. Ow, ow, ow! And extrapolated it! Some kind of accelerator?" The Doctor questioned to himself rambling as he endured the pain.<p>

Seconds later, a sound of releasing hydraulics sounded freeing the Doctor and Gaia from the machine. Gaia stumbled over to the Doctor's side and grabbed the Doctor's hand, comparing the matching y-shaped grazes they now had. Martha and Donna also ran over to the pair.  
>"Are you alright?" Martha asked, but the Doctor and Gaia's attention was back on the machine they had just been released from. The door at the machines centre opened revealing a cloud of smoke.<br>"What on earth? That's just…" The Doctor breathed and a young woman stepped out of the machine.

The young woman looked no older than 16, she had long blonde hair that was up in a high ponytail and was dressed in all green military garb. Her eyes were a bright dazzling shade of green and her lips a subtle red.

The commanding soldier was the first to speak and handed the new woman a gun. "Arm yourself." He stated and the woman took the gun and prepared it like a natural.  
>"Where did she come from?" Martha asked, also looking at the woman in shock.<br>"From me, well us." The Doctor stated gobsmacked.  
>"From you? How? Who is she?" Donna asked. The Doctor lowered his still entwined hand with Gaia, their matching grazes next to each other.<br>"Well… she's…" The Doctor began not able to get his tongue around the words.  
>"She's our daughter." Gaia said shocked and surprised herself. Their `daughter` looked up at them as Gaia said this.<br>"Hello Mum and Dad." She said with a smile.

The Doctor's and Gaia's daughter walked over to the other soldiers, leaving the Doctor, Gaia, Donna and Martha by the machine. "You primed to take orders, ready to fight?" The commanding soldier, Cline, asked. The young woman nodded.  
>"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir. Generation 5000 soldier primed and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready." The young woman boasted.<p>

The Doctor, Gaia, Martha and Donna watched the conversation from afar. "Did you say daughter?" Donna asked shocked looking back and forth between the young woman and the apparent new parents.  
>"Mm. Technically." The Doctor stated, watching his new `daughter` with a detached interest.<br>"Technically how?" Martha asked confused. It was Gaia who answered this time.  
>"50th century reproduction. Take two diploid cells, split into haploid cells, rearrange them in a different arrangement and grow. Very quickly. It allowed same sex couples to have a child." Gaia explained, also watching her `daughter`.<p>

"Something's coming!" The young woman said and fish like creatures appeared in the distance, also carrying guns and shooting at the humans.  
>"It's the Hath!" A soldier declared.<br>"Get down!" The woman ordered and the humans returned fire.  
>"We have to blow the tunnel! Get the detonator!" The commanding soldier stated, but all the soldiers were either dead or occupied with the oncoming Hath.<br>"I'm not detonating anything!" The Doctor argued angrily, but the soldier didn't respond, now too busy with the Hath. A rogue Hath managed to break the soldiers' line and grabbed Martha around the waist, pulling her away from the group. The young woman spotted this but didn't seem to care and picked up the detonator.  
>"Blow that thing!" The commanding officer shouted hurriedly.<br>"Martha!" Gaia shouted to the medic, but it was too late. The woman slammed the detonator and they had no other choice but to run for cover.

When the dust had settled the Doctor and Gaia ran out from their hiding place. They found the tunnel blocked and no sign of Martha anywhere. "You've sealed off the tunnel!" Gaia shouted at the woman angrily, the woman flinched a little.  
>"Why did you do that?" The Doctor demanded.<br>"They were trying to kill us!" The woman stated. Gaia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, she could concede that the girl had a point, the Doctor on the other hand didn't…  
>"But they've got my friend!" The Doctor argued.<br>"Collateral damage. At least you've still got those two, he lost both his men, I'd say you came out ahead." The woman stated and this sent Donna fuming, but Gaia got there first.  
>"Her name's Martha Jones and she's not collateral damage, not got anyone! Have you got that?" Gaia demanded angrily. The woman cowered a way a little at Gaia's shout, seemingly scared a little at Gaia's anger. Meekly the blond woman gave a nod.<br>"I'm going to find her." The Doctor stated and took a step forward. He was met with the end of a gun. Gaia was tempted to bring her own out and point it at the man, but she knew that would be useless if they wanted to have a chance at finding Martha.  
>"You're going nowhere. You don't make sense, you 3. No guns, no marks, no fight in you… I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now move." The commanding soldier stated and nudged them along the tunnel.<p>

A little later on, whilst walking down one of the tunnels, Donna approached the young woman who was apparently the Doctor's and Gaia's daughter. "I'm Donna." She introduced. "What's your name?" She asked curiously, but the woman shrugged.  
>"Don't know it's not been assigned." The woman stated. Donna looked at her shocked.<br>"Well if you don't know that, what do you know?" Donna asked.  
>"How to fight." The woman answered honestly.<br>"Nothing else?" Donna added hopefully, looking at the Doctor for an explanation.  
>"The machine must embed military history and tactics but no name." Gaia stated.<br>"She's a generated anomaly." The Doctor added and Donna started to play with his wording.  
>"Generated anomaly? Jenny-rated. Well what about that? Jenny!" Donna proclaimed happily at the young woman.<br>"Jenny. Yeah, I like that, Jenny." The newly named Jenny exclaimed happily and Donna smiled, falling back to speak to the `new parents`.  
>"What do you think, `Mum` and `Dad`?" Donna asked stressing their newly created titles.<br>"Good as anything, I suppose." The Doctor answered with disinterest and Gaia proceeded in slapping him in the chest. He looked at her shocked, but quickly retreated when he saw the look in her eyes.  
>"Not what you'd call a natural parent, are you?" Donna stated, her statement obviously being directed at the Doctor.<br>"They stole a tissue sample at gun point and processed it; it's not what I call natural parentage." The Doctor exclaimed. Donna raised her eyebrows at him and was about to make a retort when Gaia stepped in.  
>"Your not saying that you're not a parent though. Whether we like it or not, we are parents and Jenny is our child." Gaia stated to the Doctor, but he refused it.<br>"Look, just cos I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?" The Doctor stated and earned himself another slap from Gaia. At this point Jenny had also fallen back and was shocked at her `father's` statement.  
>"I'm not a monkey!" She exclaimed shocked. Gaia rubbed her arm sympathetically.<br>"Ignore him." She said softly and then proceeded to follow the Doctor into the human encampment they had reached.

"So, where are we? What planet's this?" The Doctor asked the soldier leading the group.  
>"Messaline. Well, what's left of it." The soldier answered. A loud tannoy sounded through the encampment listing the dead, none of the soldiers had names though, just numbers. Gaia is quickly caught up in the surroundings of it all. The room was a mixture of a factory and barracks. There were hundreds of cots, medical supplies and weaponry strewn around the room, showing the military mind set these people had. Yet against every wall, there were large machines similar to that in the tunnel. Each machine had two long lines of people in front of them, all of them willing to donate a sample of skin cells to create more people and in theory, their own children. Gaia felt slightly nauseous at the idea.<p>

"General Cobb, I presume?" The Doctor asked as on older soldier made his way over to the group. The General skips introductions.  
>"Found in the Western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks. There was an outbreak of pacifism in the Eastern zone, three generations back, before we lost contact, is that where you came from?" The General asked. Gaia would have said he looked old, but she knew better. He probably wasn't older than 2, maybe 3 days. Everyone person here, bar the Doctor, Donna and herself, were products of those machines. There wasn't a single member of the original species left.<br>"Eastern Zone, that's us, yeah. I'm the Doctor, this is Gaia and Donna." The Doctor stated, lying quite easily to the general.  
>"And I'm Jenny." Jenny stated happily and Gaia couldn't help but give the girl a soft smile. The General ignored her.<br>"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking. We're committed to the fight, to the very end." Cobb stated; Gaia was the one to reply to that.  
>"Well, that's alright. We won't be staying. We've got to go find our friend." Gaia replied, not at all intimidated by the man.<br>"That's not possible, all movement is regulated. We're at war." Cobb said, his tone that of a military officer- sharp and to the point.  
>"Yes, I noticed." The Doctor began his tone much more casual and relaxed. "With the Hath. But tell me, cos we got a bit out of circulation, Eastern Zone and all that, what exactly are the Hath?" The Doctor asked.<p>

Cobb led the group over to a projection desk and brought up a picture of a Hath. "Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning, a colony where humans and Hath could work and live together." Cobb began.  
>"So what happened?" Donna asked, intrigued by the story.<br>"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promised. They wanted it all from themselves. But those early pioneers fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival." Cobb continued.  
>"How long's this war gone on for?" The Doctor asked his tone now grim and heavy with his own burden of war.<br>"Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead." Cobb answered and the Doctor nodded solemnly.  
>"What, fighting all this time?" Donna asked shocked. She had not been exposed to the cruelty of war that the Doctor and Gaia had.<br>"Because we must." Jenny answered as if it were obvious; Gaia looked up at the girl in alarm. "Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance, it's all we know. How to fight and how to die." Jenny stated and Gaia looked on at her shocked.

A little while later, the Doctor and Gaia are studying a holographic map of the catacombs and tunnels in this sector of Messaline. "Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zone?" The Doctor asked.  
>"Yes, why?" Cobb asked confused.<br>"Well it'll help us find Martha." Gaia stated not taking here eyes off the map.  
>"We've got more important things to do. The reproduction machines are powered down for the night shift, but as soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you three." The soldier stated and Donna looked at them in shock and Gaia's ears pricked up, interested at Donna's response to that.<br>"I'm not having sons and daughters by some flippin' machine!" Donna started and turned to face Jenny. "Sorry no offence, but you're not… well I mean you're not real." Both Jenny and Gaia looked at her in shock, the former even more so. Gaia didn't get the chance to retort, because Jenny got their first.  
>"You're no better than him!" Jenny exclaimed. "I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought, how am I not real? What makes you better than me?" Jenny demanded and Gaia held back a smirk.<br>"Like mother, like daughter." The Doctor whispered in her ear and Gaia whacked him on the chest.

"Well said, soldier. We need more like you if we're ever to find the Source." Cobb stated and perked the Doctor's interest.  
>"Ooh, the Source, what's that then, what's a source? I like a Source, what is it?" The Doctor asked curiously.<br>"The Breath of Life." Cobb answered.  
>"And that would be…?" Gaia dragged.<br>"In the beginning the great on breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she'd done and she sighed." Cobb stated. Jenny laughed.  
>"She? I like that." She said and Gaia couldn't help but flicker her gaze over to the Doctor. He would have said that.<br>"Right, so it's a creation myth." The man in question stated. Cobb shook his head.  
>"It's not a myth. It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet." Cobb stated, but the Doctor seemed to ignore him as he had gone back to fiddling with the map. Several other tunnels, suddenly appear on the map, as does another large spacious area.<br>"I though so!" The Doctor announced. "There's a suppressed layer or information in this map." He stated and studied the newly improved map.

"That must be the lost temple." Cobb declared and Gaia watched as the Doctor rolled his eyes. "The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way! And look, we're closer than the Hath! It's ours." Cobb stated gleefully and then ordered the soldiers to move out.  
>"Um, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace couldn't you just stop fighting?" The Doctor stated.<br>"Only when we have the Source. It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet!" Cobb declared and the Doctor and Gaia looked at him in shock.  
>"What happened to peace in our time?" The Doctor began.<br>"Because that's genocide!" Gaia finished angrily.  
>"For us, that's means the same thing." Cobb stated helping to pack some of the weaponry. The Doctor's anger grew exponentially.<br>"Then you need a better dictionary. When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there and the caption will read `Over my dead body`!" The Doctor argued angrily. It was Cobb who was calm in conversation this time.  
>"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms!" Cobb ordered and the soldier who was with them, now named as Cline, pointed his gun at the trio.<br>"Oi,oi. Cool the beans Rambo!" Donna shouted, uncomfortable with the gun pointed at her head.  
>"Take them. I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything Doctor, I'll see that your woman dies first." Cobb stated indicating at Gaia.<br>"No we're not a couple." The Doctor stated, although his tone could be pin pointed at anger, almost disappointment.  
>"Come on, this way." Cline ordered.<br>"Lock them up and guard them," Cobb ordered.  
>"What about the new soldier?" Cline asked nodding his head towards Jenny. She stepped forward to Cobb, but he pushed her away into the Doctor's arms.<br>"Can't trust her, she's from pacifist stock. Take them all!" Cobb stated and Cline led the group away.

As the group were pushed into their cell, Donna noticed the numbers on the wall. The Doctor didn't like it, just as he didn't like the Source myth Cobb had told them. The Doctor then proceeded to call Martha from Donna's upgraded phone, much to the delight of Jenny, and she explained to them the situation in the Hath camp she found herself in. Unfortunately, the connection quickly broke, just as Cobb made his speech to his troops.

"The doors that have been closed will be open to us now. The door to the Temple, to the Source and to victory!" Cobb shouted and the soldiers cheered. "Come the dawn cycle we march."

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair. "They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard." The Doctor stated and Jenny stepped up.  
>"I can deal with him." Both the Doctor and Gaia argued.<br>"No, no, no, no." They both said, but the end of their statements differed. Gaia's being: "You're doing nothing of a sort." And the Doctor's: "You're not going anywhere." Jenny looked between her two `parents` slightly startled. It took Gaia a minute to realise what the Doctor had said before she turned on him.  
>"What?" She questioned.<br>"She belongs here, with them." The Doctor stated and Gaia looked horrified.  
>"She belongs with us. She's our daughter!" Gaia argued.<br>"She's a soldier. She came out of that machine!" The Doctor retorted and Gaia shook her head.  
>"When we landed what was the first thing I said?" Gaia asked.<br>"Do we really…" The Doctor began but Gaia cut him off.  
>"Answer the question." The Doctor sighed in defeat.<br>"You said that the something felt wrong, that this planet didn't have a keeper." The Doctor resigned and Gaia nodded.  
>"Well now the planet does. Already you'll find the harsh conditions on the planet's surface are starting to lessen." Gaia stated. "And do you know who the keeper is?" Gaia asked and turned to face Jenny.<p>

Jenny looked between her parents in a mixture of worry and confusion. "You want more proof, that she is in fact your daughter as well." Gaia stated and shoved her hand into the Doctor's pocket. She pulled out a stethoscope.  
>"What're you doing?" Jenny asked.<br>"It's all right sweetheart. Just hold still." Gaia instructed and placed the stethoscope of Jenny's chest and then moved it over to the other side. With a smile she turned back to the Doctor and handed him the device. "Listen." She ordered him and he complied. He fell back in shock at what he heard.  
>"Two hearts." He muttered.<br>"Exactly." Gaia agreed. Donna looked at Jenny in a mixture of shock and awe.  
>"Does that mean she's a…? What do you call a Planet Keeper and Time Lord child?" Donna asked the Doctor and Gaia.<br>"What are they?" Jenny asked them all in confusion.  
>"It's who we are. Gaia is a Planet Keeper and I'm a Time Lord." The Doctor stated.<br>"And I'm from you." Jenny stated.  
>"You're an echo, that's all." The Doctor began his rant but was quickly cut off by a whack in the chest from Gaia. It knocked the wind out of him and he stumbled back a step.<br>"Apologise. Now." Gaia ordered in a fury the Doctor had never heard from her. He muttered a quiet sorry, unable to raise his voice much louder as he over came the throbbing in his chest from Gaia's whack.

Gaia then turned back to face Jenny. "A planet keeper watches over planets, there are connected to it mentally. They allow the planet to grow and develop. I'm connected to a planet called Earth and although not fully yet, you would be this planet's keeper." Gaia stated, now holding Jenny's hand.  
>"But how, I don't know how to look after a planet? I didn't even have a name until Donna gave me one." Jenny said worriedly. Gaia smiled softly and brushed a piece of Jenny's hair out of her face.<br>"You'll learn and I'll teach you." Gaia replied honestly and Jenny looked up at her with a smile.  
>"Really?" Jenny asked and Gaia nodded. Jenny then swooped in and gave Gaia a hug, which Gaia happily returned. "Thanks Mum." Jenny whispered and Gaia thought her heart might just burst.<p>

The Doctor watched the conversation from a far. Although he still wasn't overly sure of Jenny, he couldn't make her stay here now. With the knowledge of what happened to Gaia's first daughter, and with himself partially to blame for that, he would truly be the monster if he broke up Jenny and Gaia now. After ruining her first chance at being a mother, the Doctor wasn't going to forcibly take away a second.

No longer than an hour later, Gaia, the Doctor, Donna and Jenny had escaped the cell and arrived at the `Temple`, the Doctor and Jenny doing a lot of bonding along the way. "Oh, that was close." Jenny said breathless and the Doctor smiled at her.  
>"No fun otherwise." He stated happily and Jenny returned the gesture, their smiles mirroring one another.<br>"It's not what I'd call a temple…" Donna stated.  
>"It looks more like…" Gaia started.<br>"Fusion-drive transport. It's a spaceship!" The Doctor finished.  
>"What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?" Donna asked.<br>"It would appear so." Gaia answered.  
>"But the power cells would have run down after all that time. This one's still powered-up and functioning." The Doctor stated and rubbed his chin. Suddenly the sound of banging could be heard from the other door.<br>"It's the Hath! That door's not going to last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's gonna break out." Jenny stated and the Doctor nodded taking it all in.

This was when Donna noticed a set of automated numbers on the wall. Set in the same style as all the others they had seen, but this time in a digital form. "It's like the numbers in the tunnels." The Doctor stated as he followed Donna's eye line.  
>"It's staring us in the face!" Donna exclaimed recognising the number layout.<br>"What is?" Jenny asked confused.  
>"The date." Donna answered. "Assuming the first two numbers are some bid old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America!" Donna explained and the Doctor smacked his forehead.<br>"Ohhh! It's the new Byzantium calendar!" He exclaimed.  
>"So the codes were completion date for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on! So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out, from here, day by day, as the city got built." Gaia realised and Donna nodded.<br>"But you're still not getting it." Donna added. "The first number I saw back there was 6012-07-17. Well, look at today's date." Donna said.  
>"07-24. No!" The Doctor exclaimed. Jenny looked at him confused.<br>"What does it mean?" She asked.  
>"Seven days." Gaia muttered.<br>"What d'you mean seven days?" Jenny asked again.  
>"Seven days since war broke out." The Doctor answered.<br>"But they said years!" Jenny stated and Gaia shook her head.  
>"No they said generations. And by using those machines you can have 20 machines in a day. Each generation gets killed and passes on the legend." Gaia explained.<br>"But all thee building, the encampments, they're in ruins." Jenny said.  
>"No, they're no ruined. Just empty! Waiting to be populated. They've mythologized their entire history. The Source must be part of that too. Come on." The Doctor yelled now already halfway across the grating.<p>

Turning the corner they bumped into Martha. "Doctor!" She exclaimed happily.  
>"Martha!" the Doctor replied just as happy. "I should have know you wouldn't stay away from the excitement." He said as they hugged.<br>"Gaia!" Martha said and her hugged her and Donna as well. During this meeting, the sound of soldiers are carried up to them.  
>"That's the general. We haven't got much time." The Doctor stated.<br>"We don't even know what we're looking for." Donna replied rather pessimistic.  
>"Is it me or can you smell flowers?" Martha asked and everyone sniffed.<br>"Yes! Bougainvillea!" Gaia stated, letting the familiar scent fill her nostrils.  
>"I say we follow our noses." The Doctor said and followed the pleasant smell.<p>

The group end up running into a rather large green house. There were green plants, flowers and shrubberies everywhere and at its centre stood a glowing glass sphere atop a pedestal.  
>"Is that the Source?" Donna asked.<br>"It's beautiful!" Jenny stated in awe.  
>"What is it?" Martha asked.<br>"Terraforming!" Gaia answered happily.  
>"It's a 3rd generation Terraforming device!" The Doctor added. Before anyone could say anything else though, they were surrounded by Hath and Humans, both species pointing their guns at the Doctor.<br>"Stop, hold your fire!" The Doctor shouted and no one shot.  
>"What is this? Some kind of trap?" Cobb asked angrily.<br>"You said you wanted this war over." The Doctor stated and Cobb shook his head.  
>"I want this war won." Cobb corrected.<br>"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers. Getting more distorted the more it's passed on. (pointing to the sphere)This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you! It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing." The Doctor said and lifted up the sphere. "I'm the Doctor and I declare this war over!" He yelled and smashed the sphere on the ground, allowing the gases to escape.

Both Human and Hath alike are amazed at the sight of the gases being released and lower their guns to the ground. Jenny walks over to stand beside her parents. "What's happening?" She asks them.  
>"The gases will escape and trigger the Terraforming process."The Doctor answered.<br>"What does that mean?" Jenny asked again.  
>"It means a whole new world, your new world." Gaia said happily. Jenny laughed happily at that, still not use to the idea of the planet being eventually bonded to her- she had to be two days old for the bonding to take place, she was only a matter of hours.<p>

As she laughed though she caught sight of General Cobb, he wasn't watching the air with awe; instead he started to raise his gun at the Doctor. Without hesitation Jenny stepped in the way.  
>"No!" She chocked and the bullet hits her in the chest. She collapses into the Doctor's arms and the surrounding soldiers hold down Cobb, taking away his gun.<br>"Jenny? Jenny, talk to me now!" Gaia said frantically, now on her knees next to Jenny. Martha crouches next to the Doctor and checks Jenny pulse. Her eyes downcast.  
>"A new world. It's beautiful." Jenny whispered, tears in her eyes. Gaia is also crying, but she be damned if she was going to watch another daughter die.<br>"Your beautiful world Jenny. All yours." Gaia said as she focused on the Earth made bullet in Jenny's chest. With her power now fuelled by her emotions, the bullet disintegrated into air with ease, removing the foreign body in Jenny's chest.  
>"Jenny? Be strong now." The Doctor began, himself in tears over his daughter. "You need to hold on. D'you hear me? We've got thing to do, you, me and your Mum. We can anywhere, everywhere, you choose." The Doctor said pleading with his daughter to stay awake.<br>"That sounds good." Jenny breathes.  
>"You're our daughter." The Doctor said, finally admitting what Gaia had been telling him for hours. "And we've only got started. You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're going to be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?" The Doctor sobbed, but Jenny didn't respond. Gently she closed her eyes and her breathing stopped.<p>

Gaia doesn't hear the rest of the conversation the Doctor has. Her eyes seem to remain fixed on her dead daughter, but in all honesty, they've glazed over. She doesn't want to have to go through that grief again. She doesn't want to be a useless wreck for years. In all honesty she still hasn't truly recovered from Luna's death and she doubts she ever will, but seeing this. Her second daughter, a perfect mix of herself and the Doctor, so young and naïve, killed by the Human's she created. It was too much and she couldn't face it.

A Planet Keeper's mind is much like a Time Lord's in a way, only far more expansive allowing a connection to their planet to reside there. But akin to a Time Lord's mind, they can lock stuff away. Place it behind a door which only they can open. This is what Gaia did. She didn't want to feel the pain again.

When Gaia finally came back to her senses, she was back in the Tardis. She still knew of Jenny's death, but any emotion attachment she felt for the girl had been placed under lock and key. Hence she didn't hesitate when the Doctor took her home. When she slyly said "Goodbye Honey" in the same suggestive tone River Song used on her, or when she gave the blushing Time Lord a quick peck on the lips. She loved it, revelled in the Doctor's awkwardness. The only thing she was truly worried about was explaining her disappearance to Jack and the team; it would make a good story for how she missed Gwen's wedding…

**Messaline, several seconds after the Doctor left in the TARDIS…**

As the signature wheezing sound of the Tardis faded, a flash of white light appeared and an all too familiar woman came out of no where, now quite a bit older than when she left. She took off running in an instant, apparently not disorientated by her method of travel. Running through the maze and catacombs of Messaline, she steadily saw a young blonde girl approaching her dead on, the girl's face on the floor ensuring she didn't fall or stumble over anything.

As the two met the in the centre, the familiar woman grabbed the girl by the arm and spun her around, making the two face each other. "Mum!" The girl squealed and wrapped her arms around the woman's neck.  
>"Hello sweetheart." Gaia replied, hugging her daughter back. "Let's get out of her." Gaia suggested and Jenny nodded. In a flash of white light, they were gone.<p> 


	23. Fragments

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, they really make my day when I see them! :) Back to Torchwood now and I kinda loved this episode! ;) **

Gaia was surprised to find the hub empty when she arrived. She had fully expected the place to be filled with the team, each of them watching her on the monitor like the last time she had been with the Doctor. But that was not to be. "River." Gaia called out to the AI system in the hub.  
>"Yes ma'am." <strong>River<strong>, the AI, responded.  
>"Where are the others?" Gaia asked, walking over to one of the monitors.<br>"Miss Sato detected several rift spikes at exactly 10:07 am. Captain Harkness and the Torchwood team departed at 10:15 am to analyse them." **River **stated. Gaia nodded as she examined the map of the spike zones that had appeared on the monitor.  
>"Thank you River, can you patch me through to their comms please." Gaia instructed and there was a moment of pause from the AI.<br>"Unable to do so ma'am. It seems a disturbance in the form of a Vegas 5 bomb has disrupted the signal." **River** responded monotone. Gaia's eyes widened at the information and she rushed to get Jack's car keys.  
>"And you didn't think to mention this earlier?" Gaia stated desperately as she ran out of Jack's office, his keys in hand.<br>"It did not seem of importance." **River** replied. Gaia rolled her eyes.  
>"The list of modifications I need to do on you are endless, but never mind. Program the rift spikes' location into Jack's GPS." Gaia instructed as she ran out the door into the Torchwood car park.<p>

Jack wasn't short of a bob or two and his choice in car showed that. Gaia had always said he was compensating. Jack's rarely used, mint condition car was none other than a Lamborghini Gallardo. With a top speed of 202 mph and 0 to 60 in 3 seconds, Gaia found herself at the bomb sight in the nick of time.

Quickly taking the keys out of the ignition, Gaia ran straight for the partially collapsed building. She entered the building through a large hole in one of the walls and she was met with the sight of a slightly mangled Jack. Steadying her breathing at the fairly gruesome sight before her, she began to dig Jack out from the pile of rubble he was under. Thankfully there wasn't much on Jack, and by getting her hands under in his arms she managed to drag, the currently dead, Jack from beneath the pile. Gaia whimpered as she set Jack's dislocated shoulder in place and no less that 2 seconds after relocating the limb, Jack awoke with a shout.

"Ahhh…" Jack yelled in a mixture of pain and fear.  
>"Jack, calm down, you're alright." A female voice said trying to soothe him, but Jack's vision was still slightly blurred from the sudden action of opening his eyes. It took him a little off a minute for his eyes to refocus and the image of a worried Gaia flooded his eyesight. He instantly latched onto her like a child to a mother. "Wow, Jack are you okay?" Gaia asked as Jack wrapped his arms around her. He didn't reply. He just revelled in the fact that his horrid flashbacks were over and that Gaia was back, well and alive.<p>

"Jack as much as I appreciate this hug, we do need to find the others." Gaia stated and this seemed to snap Jack out of it. He instantly released his grip from Gaia and sat back.  
>"Right, yes." He said, more to himself than Gaia. Gaia smiled softly at the man she classed as her older brother and then slowly stood up straight from her crouched position beside him. She then offered Jack a hand of which he accepted.<p>

Jack winced as Gaia pulled him to his feet. His body was still in the midst of repairing itself and everything was still a bit tender. "I'll call Gwen to come down; we're going to need all the help we can get." He stated and Gaia nodded.  
>"I'll go and see if I can find anyone else, I'll shout if I find them." Gaia stated and walked further into the crumbling building, leaving Jack to walk outside and make his call. The scream of Tosh caused Gaia to run…<p>

**Tosh's flashback**

Tosh sat curled up in a ball at the back of her cell. Her face was now covered in grime, her feet black with dirt and her hair greasy and straw-like, pulled back in a loose ponytail on the back of her head. After stealing from the Ministry of Defence, Tosh expected to be in here for a long time, but she hadn't expected her imprisonment to be quite this barbaric. She received a porridge like substance for her every meal and was trapped in this tiny concrete cell 24/7. Hence Toshiko was incredibly surprised, that after God know how many days of imprisonment, she received her first visitors.

"Prisoner Sato. Inspection." A guard from outside her cell door ordered, the only visible part of the guard being the eyes.  
>"What for?" Toshiko asked, her voice quiet and rough from the little water she had drunk. The guard didn't answer.<br>"Prepare for inspection." The guard ordered again and Tosh slowly got to her feet, a large percentage of her weight on being held up by the wall she was leaning against. For the first time in months her cell door swung open and the silhouette of 2 people filled her cell.

Tosh had now been walked out of her cell and into a room that had a large table at its centre. Toshiko's 2 visitors sat at the opposite end of the table to her, their gazes unlike anyone else's she had seen since her arrival at the prison. "Catering's as lousy as they say, huh?" The Man joked. Toshiko wasn't in the mood to laugh.  
>"Where's my mother?" She asked desperately. It was for her mother she had done all of this in the first place.<br>"She's safe." The woman answered softly.  
>"She won't remember being kidnapped. We wiped it from her memory. We hope you don't mind." The Man added, continuing from where the woman left off.<br>"You did what?" Toshiko asked, a mixture of confusion and anger.  
>"Really, just a little pill. She'll never have known." The Man answered, sitting back in his seat, the woman next to him rolled her eyes at his action.<br>"Who are you?" Tosh asked again, her voice more measured and controlled than before. This was by far the longest conversation she had in her imprisonment.  
>"Nobody." The Woman stated. "We don't exist." She continued.<br>"Are you lawyers?" Tosh asked desperately. The man shook his head.  
>"Do we look like lawyers?" The man asked his sarcasm evident.<br>"They're going to make an example of you. Stealing official secrets, in today's climate… they're going to keep you here without charge. Forever." The woman stated gravely. Tosh looked up at them both in shock and outrage.  
>"They can't do that!" Tosh shouted in protest.<br>"They're never going to release you. I'm sorry." The woman continued her apology genuine.

The man beside her then got the sonic modulator out. Tosh winced a little at the sight of the device that had caused all this trouble.  
>"You made this, right?" The man asked twirling the device in his fingers.<br>"I just followed the plans." Tosh answered honestly, looking down to her lap. The woman shook her head in disbelief and the man voiced their shared thought.  
>"Yeah, kinda. But first you had to grasp the concept of what a sonic modulator does. Most people would struggle with that." The man began.<br>"And another thing… the plans don't work." The woman added and Tosh looked up at them both in shock.  
>"What?" Tosh exclaimed confused.<br>"The technical plans you followed were wrong. They had mistakes in them. That's why the plans were shelved." The Man stated and the woman smiled.  
>"But you, Toshiko Sato, you automatically fixed things as you went along." The Woman said her voice full of pride and awe.<br>"What she's trying to say is… oh baby, you're good." The man exclaimed causing a chuckle out of the woman. "I mean you're good now. Imagine what you'd be like with a little training. Oh! Shame you're going to be locked up for so long." The man mocked his voice not close to serious.  
>"You've got to get me out of here!" Tosh pleaded. The man and woman gave each other a knowing smile.<br>"If… you come work for us." The woman stated. Tosh's eyebrows rose in shock.  
>"Really?" She said excitedly, she'd happily work for them if it meant getting out of here.<br>"Give me five years, I'll get them to wipe your record clean. They owe me a few favours." The man stated. Tosh leant back in her chair in shock.  
>"What do you do?" She asked her voice calmer.<br>"Protect people. Least, that's what we're aiming for. It's kind of a work in progress." The woman stated.  
>"What about my mother?" Tosh asked.<br>"Limited contact only. You can send her postcards. So what d'you say?" The man offered.  
>"Why would you trust me?" Tosh asked curiously. She was in here for theft, it was a good question.<br>"Instinct." The Woman answered honestly.  
>"It's going to be dangerous. Think you can handle it?" The man asked. Tosh nodded.<p>

**Modern Day**

Tosh screamed in pain. "I'm sorry Tosh, it's almost there." Gaia stated through gritted teeth as she tried to lift the heavy concrete slab.  
>"Need some help." A voice said from behind Gaia and Tosh. Both women craned their necks to see Tommy standing a short distance away.<br>"Yes, help me lift this thing." Gaia instructed her voice strained. Tommy nodded and instantly rushed to her side. Working as a team, they managed to heave the heavy slab and Tosh slides out from beneath it.

"Thank you." Tosh says honestly, panting for breath a few meters away from the rubble she was just stuck under. "I think I've broken my arm, though." She stated. Gaia nodded.  
>"Can you walk?" Gaia asked Tosh and with help from Tommy, Tosh got to her feet.<br>"Just about." Tosh answered. Gaia then turned to Tommy.  
>"Take Tosh outside to the cars. In the boot of Jack's there should be a first aid kit." Gaia instructed and Tommy nodded. Scooping Tosh up bridal style, surprisingly with little protest from Tosh, Tommy carried the woman back outside leaving Gaia on her own.<p>

Gaia then continued through the destroyed building looking for more of the team. She quickly came across Jack trying to dig out a partially buried Ianto. Ianto screamed in pain beneath them and both bosses of Torchwood sped up in their digging.

**Ianto's flashback**

Jack sped fast down the empty Cardiff road. He was currently having a rather loud conversation with Gaia about the matter of his recent stalker. "We are not hiring that guy Gaia." Jack stated into his comm.  
>"Yes, we are Jack. He has a good record, already trained in most Torchwood protocols and not to mention the fact that he's lost everything Jack," Gaia listed and Jack shook his head as he drove.<br>"What could he do exactly? We have a medic, a computer specialist and a field worker. What vacancy could he fill?" Jack asked angrily.  
>"You did say he made good coffee..." Gaia answered. Jack huffed.<br>"No and that's…" Jack didn't get to finish his sentence as the man in question appeared out of no where in the middle of the road, causing Jack to slam the breaks of the SUV hard.

Pulling out his comm, he climbed out of the SUV. "Ok, this has to stop." Jack stated to Ianto.  
>"No listen to me," Ianto tried to say to Jack, but Jack cut him off.<br>"I don't have time for this. Look, I don't care what your problem is; I want you out of this city by sunrise. There is not place for you here. Go back to London, find yourself another life. Keep stalking me, I'll wipe your memory." Jack ordered.  
>"No, but the thing is…" Ianto tried to reply but once again Jack cut him off.<br>"Any conversation between us, no matter the subject, is over! Finished! Done! Forever! I'm getting back behind the wheel of that car and if you're still standing in the road, I'm going to drive through you." Jack stated angrily and began to re-enter the car.  
>"You're not gonna help me catch this pterodactyl then?" Ianto asked smug. Jack stopped in his tracks and turned to face the Welshman.<p>

The duo found themselves outside a large warehouse where Jack started to screw together a rather large syringe. "Okay, that's the only special equipment you've got?" Ianto asked incredulously.  
>"Yeah, cos I keep dinosaur nets in the back of the SUV." Jack replied sarcastically.<br>"Torchwood London would've." Ianto retorted and Jack glared at him before they ran into the warehouse. They are both instantly pounced upon by the raging pterodactyl and scrambled back outside, leaving heavily against the closed door.  
>"How did you find it?" Jack asked panting for breath.<br>"Rift activity locator." Ianto answered also out of breath.  
>"Torchwood London." Jack stated with a sigh and Ianto nodded.<br>"See, quality kit." Ianto implored.  
>"Yeah, it's quite excitable." Jack replied.<br>"Must be your aftershave." Ianto responded.  
>"Never wear any."<br>"You smell like that naturally?" Ianto asked shocked, a good shock though.  
>"51st century pheromones. You people have no idea. Ready for another go?" Jack asked.<br>"I'm game if you are." Ianto replied. Jack held the syringe up.  
>"Three, two, one…" He counted down and they dive back into the building.<p>

Within 10 minutes the pterodactyl was successfully sedated and Ianto found himself lying on top of Jack after he had tried to push the Captain out of the way. The duo laughed at the situation before turning to face each other, with their noses only millimetres away. "I should go." Ianto proclaimed and, after a moment of hesitation, clambered to his feet.  
>"Hey." Jack called to the retreating figure of Ianto. Ianto stopped walking for s second. "Report for work first thing tomorrow." Jack ordered and Ianto continued to walk away.<p>

**Modern Day**

"3,2,1…" Jack counted down and in unison, both him and Gaia pulled Ianto out from under the pile of rubble.  
>"You ok?" Gaia asked, brushing some of the dust and rocks out of Ianto's hair.<br>"Broken finger, but that about it, luckily." Ianto said, holding up his bruised and slightly disfigured finger. Gaia nodded.  
>"Head outside to the vehicles, there's a gap in the wall in the next room. Tosh and Tommy should be there with a first aid kit." Gaia instructed and Ianto nodded as Jack helped him to his feet.<br>"Is there any sign of Owen?" Ianto asked, having already heard that Tosh was out and Gwen wasn't even with them at the time of the explosion.  
>"Gwen's with him. I came here to get you out." Jack answered as the duo helped Ianto outside. Gaia looked up at Jack.<br>"I'll go help her get him out; are you two okay getting back out?" Gaia asked and both men nodded. Gaia smiled softly at the couple, yes she knew of their antics, and ran back into the building.

**Owen's Flashback**

Owen was sitting in a hospital corridor, his fiancée Katie sitting at his side. Katie had memory issues, determined by other doctors as early onset Alzheimer's. Owen didn't believe it, refused to believe it and through his ties in the hospital had managed to get her another MRI scan; they were now waiting for the results.

"It's like being lost, in a place you know really well, but you can't get your bearings. Sometimes it comes back to you. And sometimes… I'm sorry Owen." Katie whimpered she hated the stated she found herself in.  
>"What have you got to be sorry for?" Owen asked honestly, his voice full of care and love for the woman sitting in front of him.<br>"I don't want to put you through this. Last night, I dreamt that you left me." Katie admitted and Owen squeezed her against him.  
>"Oh Come on. Nobody's leaving anyone." Owen said softly and kissed her on the lips.<p>

Several minutes later Owen and Katie found themselves in the doctor's office. "How is it possible?" Owen asked incredulously, looking at the MRI scan the doctor had handed him.  
>"We don't know. I've never seen anything like it. It's not the brain deteriorating. It's a clear physical tumour." The doctor explained.<br>"That wasn't there last week?" Owen asked.  
>"Not that we say. You were right to ask for another scan." The doctor consoled.<br>"So what do we do now?" Owen asked in a mixture of worry and relief.  
>"We have some good news. Katie, we need to take you into surgery, soon as possible, and remove the tumour." The doctor explained. Katie didn't seem to reply, she was staring off into space.<br>"Do you understand Katie?" Owen asked softly. Katie turned to face him, her eyes wide and scared.  
>"I can't remember your name." She whimpered and Owen gulped.<p>

Walking out of the hospital, Owen and Katie were cut off by a young woman approaching them. "Sorry." She said. "Dr Anna Smith, I'm currently aiding Jim in your tumour study. Have you considered a different form of treatment? Chemotherapy is highly suggested course of treatment for a tumour of your type." `Dr Anna Smith` stated. Owen shook his head, he trusted Jim and if he suggested surgery, Katie was having surgery.  
>"We're fine with the options we've been given thank you." Owen replied and steered Katie away before `Dr Anna Smith` could speak again.<p>

`Anna Smith` sighed. She had tried.

Owen stood outside the Operating theatre, his head leaning against the door. He had been waiting here for hours and he could only hope it was going well. "I'm sorry." A voice said behind him. Owen whirled around. Standing behind him was a tall man, with dark brown hair and he was wearing a long blue military coat.  
>"Who the hell are you?" Owen demanded.<br>"I tried to tell them. You should prepare for the worst." The man, Owen noted as American, said and stormed past Owen into the theatre.  
>"No, you can't go in there!" Owen shouted in protest, but the American continued into the theatre.<p>

Owen gasps in shock at the sight that was before him. All of the surgeons in the theatre were lying on the floor, dead and Katie, his fiancée, his love, was seemingly dead on the table, a tentacle creature sticking out of her brain. "Oh my God! Katie!" Owen yelled and ran to his fiancée's side. He then eyed the creature.  
>"What is it?" He asked the American.<br>"I'm sorry. I tried to stop them. She's dead. That thing in her head is an alien life form. It incubates in the brain, disrupting the shape and functions. When it's attacked or threatened, it emits a toxic gas that's fatal to humans. It clears pretty quickly." The American explained calmly, but Owen was in hysterics.  
>"She can't be dead. She's can't be dead. I'm calling, calling the police." Owen stuttered unable to control his own body.<br>"Tell them that Torchwood is already here and dealing with it. That'll save them a call-out. I need to take her brain back with me." The American declared and started to make his way over to Katie. Owen lashed out.  
>"Don't touch her!" Owen shouted, but the American overpowered him and the smell of chloroform hit his nostrils sending him into the darkness.<p>

2 days later, after practically being called insane by the hospital psychologist, Owen found himself at the graveyard. He looked down at the small temporary grave that had Katie's name on it and placed down a bunch of flowers. Snivelling, he rubbed his eyes and looked over the desolate graveyard. Standing a few paths away was an all too familiar man, a man, according to the psychologists, that was a figment of his imagination. Owen's anger flared and he charged at the man, flooring him with a single punch. The man didn't even attempt to stop him until he landed 5 odd hits.

"You could have saved her!" Owen shouted at him, finally running out of steam. He was now lying on the man's chest; hence Owen was surprised when he felt the gentle feel of a woman's hand on his shoulder.  
>"No we couldn't." A female voice said from behind him. Owen craned his neck around to see `Dr Anna Smith` standing there, another woman according to the psychologists never existed. Owen clambered off the American and sat on the gravel floor, `Anna Smith` knelt on the floor next to him. "We really couldn't." She repeated and Owen broke down on her shoulder.<p>

"If you're not figments of my imagination, then I don't know what's happening any more. Maybe this is… what a mental breakdown feels like." Owen stated. He had calmed down considerably and was walking with the man and woman through the graveyard.  
>"You're fine." The woman reassured sympathetically.<br>"It's the rest of the world that's delusional." The American stated; he now had several cuts and a number of bruises on his face from Owen's beatings.  
>"Why her?" Owen questioned. Katie had been the first girl he had ever loved, properly truly loved. He had been happy to spend the rest of his life with her.<br>"There's no reason. Your life doesn't have to end with her." The woman consoled rubbing Owen's arm reassuringly.  
>"What are you going to do now? Go back to work? See echoes of her in every corridor? You need a purpose. We're building something. We need a medic." The man stated.<br>"And you want me?" Owen asked, unsure of his own skills for the matter.  
>"You made them take more scans. You kept trying to track us down. You don't give up easily." The woman listed proudly.<br>"We need someone like that to work with us in Cardiff." The man added.  
>"To fight aliens." Owen stated and both the man and woman nodded.<br>"Exactly." The man replied. Owen shook his head in a mixture of denial and disbelief.  
>"Look, I dunno what happened to Katie and I dunno who you really are, but there is no such thing as aliens." Owen said his voice surprising calm for someone in his situation. The woman chuckled and the man gave her a knowing look.<br>"You think." The man stated.

Now in Cardiff, Owen was gobsmacked as the cog door to the hub rolls open, revealing to him, for the first time, its expansive space. "I'm having a breakdown. Mental collapse." Owen muttered as he walked forward taking the large space in.  
>"Owen, why did you become a doctor?" The woman asked her jacket now discarded on the couch behind her.<br>"I though if I could save one life, mine would be worthwhile. But you save one… and there's another. All clawing at you, demanding to be saved and even if you do succeed, you can never save enough." Owen answered honestly. The man put's his hand on Owen's shoulder.  
>"Maybe here you can." He said and Owen nodded.<p>

**Modern Day**

"Gaia, oh am I glad to see you." Owen stated from beneath a small pile of rubble, although his eye is on a pane of glass hanging precariously on an edge above him.  
>"Nice to see you too." Gaia said with a smile, also keeping her eye on the pane of glass as she helped Gwen move the rubble. Gwen smiled at Gaia as they broke Owen free and their timing couldn't have been any closer, as mere seconds after they pulled Owen out of the rubble, the glass pane falls smashing to pieces in the spot where Owen just was.<br>"Well that was close." Gwen stated and both Owen and Gaia nodded in agreement.

Gaia and Gwen lifted Owen together, acting as two human crutches for him to support on. "Is everyone else alright?" Owen asked as they made their way through the destroyed building and out to the cars.  
>"Yes, they're all alright. Luckily, only a few minor injuries." Gaia reported to the medic and Owen nodded.<br>"When did you get back?" He asked.  
>"Not too long ago." Gaia replied and craned her neck to Gwen. "I'm sorry, y'know, for missing your wedding." Gaia admitted and Gwen looked at her confused.<br>"But you were there." She stated and Gaia's eyebrows rose.  
>"Another thing to add to my to-do list." Gaia muttered although both other Torchwood members still heard and gave her puzzled looks. "I don't always do thing strictly in the right order. You must know by now that time travel exists; well it seems I have a habit of doing events in the wrong order. It's terribly confusing." Gaia admitted and both Gwen and Owen shook their heads, a small smile on both their faces. They had already been told this, but seeing Gaia in an awkward position, especially as she was the rock and level headed one of the group was always amusing.<p>

They eventually reached the outside, the sunlight blinding them a little as they walked out. "You ok?" Jack shouted to them as they approach the 2 cars, Gwen had driven her own down when Jack had called her, picking up Tommy en-route.  
>"You all right? Tosh, what happened?" Owen asked.<br>"Broken arm, bruised ribs and about an inch away from being crushed by a girder." Tosh admitted, Tommy had his arms lightly around her waist, not want to squeeze too hard and cause her pain.  
>"You were lucky." Owen stated.<br>"You all were." Gaia added and they all nodded.  
>"Jack, Gaia, who's done this?" Gwen asked looking to her bosses.<br>"And where's the SUV?" Ianto asked. Gaia opened her mouth about to explain that it was here when she arrived, but was stopped by a bleeping from Jack's wrist.  
>"Oh, no." Ianto stated.<br>"Jack, what does he want?" Gwen asked in a mixture of fear and anger. Gaia furrowed her brow, not having a clue who they were talking about.

When the hologram of a certain Captain John Hart appeared, it clicked.

"Oh, déjà vu!" He exclaims and Gaia clenched her jaw. "Or did I say that already? Hey, team. Course there might a few less of you by now. Don't know if you liked my little gift. Course you can't die and your precious Gaia wasn't even there. But never mind, because all that life, all that time and you can't spare any for me. Oh and say hi to the family Jack." John continued bring another hologram of a younger man very similar to Jack. Gaia can instantly see the resemblance.  
>"No...it can't be." Jack gasped in shock.<br>"Been a while since you've seen your brother, eh, Jack." John mocked and Gaia was tempted to throw something at him, although she knew it was futile with him being a hologram.  
>"Gray?" Jack questioned in disbelief.<br>"Ok, here's what's going to happen. Everything you love, everything you treasure and keep, will die. I'm going to tear your world apart, Captain Jack Harkness, piece by piece. Starting now. I may even add a few hundred civilian deaths just for you darling, I know how you love to feel the pain of you little human's death. Maybe now you'll both want to spend some time with me." John shouted and the transmissions cut, leaving a very shocked and slightly scared Jack and Gaia in its wake.


End file.
